19 children affected with Norovirus in Ernakulam district of Kerala
Nineteen students have tested positive for the highly contagious gastrointestinal illness, norovirus, in Kerala's Ernakulam district today.
Ernakulam: Nineteen students have tested positive for the highly contagious gastrointestinal illness, norovirus, in Kerala’s Ernakulam district today. The virus was confirmed on 19 students at a private school in Kakkanad, as well as some of their parents.
The school has switched to online mode for classes 1 to 5 following the outbreak.
It should be noted that although norovirus is usually mild in healthy people, it could seriously infect young children and elderly people with co-morbidities. The virus spreads through sewage and is contagious.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is sometimes known as the “stomach flu” or the “winter vomiting bug.” Food, water, and surfaces that have been contaminated can all spread the virus. The oral-faecal route is the most common.
It infects people of all ages and is similar to diarrhoea-causing rotavirus. Outbreaks of disease are most common on cruise ships, in nursing homes, dormitories, and other enclosed settings.
Emerging data suggests that “norovirus infection is related to intestinal inflammation, malnutrition, and may cause long-term morbidity,” according to the World Health Organisation. It goes on to say that an estimated 685 million cases of norovirus are seen each year, with 200 million instances among children under the age of five.
Norovirus causes more than half of all foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In order to avoid being infected with the norovirus, people should wash hands often, rinse fruits and vegetables before taking them inside and you should not prepare food for others when you are infected and for two days after symptoms stops showing.
People infected with norovirus people recover without needing any treatment most of the time, but older adults, small children, and people with underlying medical conditions can be more susceptible to dehydration, and thus may need medical treatment or even a hospital stay.
Kalinga AI