05.dec.06
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (Indiana)
Jennifer L. Boen
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/16168617.htm
Have you had stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting lately? You’re not alone.
The Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health on Monday issued an alert that a family of gastrointestinal bugs called noroviruses are striking an increasing number of Allen County residents.
Dr. Deborah McMahan, county health commissioner, was quoted as saying, "Norovirus spreads very easily and outbreaks are especially common on cruise ships and in schools, nursing homes and hospitals" adding that local doctors are reporting a surge in the number of cases of gastrointestinal illness to the department.
The virus is often referred to as “the flu” or “the stomach flu.” But influenza is a respiratory illness with coughing, runny nose, high fever and body aches.
Treatment is for symptoms and should include drinking plenty of clear liquids to prevent dehydration. The illness normally lasts two to four days.
According to the CDC, an estimated 23 million cases of gastroenteritis due to norovirus occur annually in the U.S. Because norovirus is not a reportable disease, exact numbers are unknown. In rare instances, hospitalization is required; in 2002, two Americans died of the illness.
In most instances, it is spread through eating food contaminated by the virus after an infected person handled the food. Salads, sandwiches and bakery products are often implicated in norovirus outbreaks.