Noroviruses are among the viral gastroenteritis agents whose incidence is increasing worldwide. Definition of gastroenteritis; It is an infection of the gastrointestinal tract by bacteria, viruses or parasites. It covers infections that cause diarrhea. It is often seen in summer. Norovirus is one of the important factors that cause epidemics with diarrhea and vomiting in children and adults. The fact that the majority of diarrhea cases that start with parents and make children and infants sick nowadays have necessitated the importance of this issue. although it is often seen in children. Norovirus is the most common cause of sudden onset diarrhea in children after rotavirus. Although the disease can be seen in all age groups, it is severe enough to require hospitalization in children aged 1-5 years.
What are the transmission routes of norovirus?
The virus is very contagious. Viruses scattered around with the feces and vomit of sick people can easily be transmitted to healthy individuals who come into contact with contaminated surfaces. Contamination is through the oral route of stool with poorly cleaned hands. This can happen through person-to-person contact or ingestion of contaminated water and food. The virus is resistant to freezing; This feature causes disease in those who consume frozen food.
Incubation period
The incubation period of the disease is 12-48 hours.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
Nausea begins abruptly with vomiting, followed by diarrhea within hours. Headache, muscle aches, weakness, signs of dehydration, abdominal cramps and fever may occur. These symptoms usually last 3-4 days. Most patients recover spontaneously. The excretion of the virus to the environment may continue for 2-3 weeks.
How is the treatment of norovirus?
Antibiotics are of no use in norovirus disease. Probiotic support can be provided that renews the intestinal flora.
Treatment is usually done by replacing the losses with oral fluid therapy.
Breastfed babies are also advantageous in the treatment of this infection. Breastfeeding mothers are It prevents the formation of fluid loss that will occur with diarrhea by breastfeeding their babies more during the periods when there is no state. In patients with severe dehydration, intravenous fluids may be required. In the treatment of norovirus, patients with severe vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite are hospitalized and given intravenous fluids to replace the lost water and electrolytes.
What should be done to prevent norovirus?
A person can get this disease more than once, because there are types of virus with different antigen structure. Due to this feature of the causative virus, a preventive vaccine could not be developed. While the vaccine provides protection to a great extent in vaccine-infected diseases such as rotavirus, hygiene rules are even more important in noroviruses without vaccines. Prevention is very important in this disease.
Washing hands is the most important preventive practice since the virus is inactivated with soap. Particular attention should be paid to hand cleaning, especially after changing diapers, using the toilet, and before eating or preparing food.
Cleanliness of the environments where toys and children are present should not be forgotten.
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