Wash your hands frequently and disinfect utensils frequently in public facilities.
It is the beginning of winter. Compared to summer, there is less worry about food poisoning in winter. This may be because they believe that as the temperature drops, there is less chance of food spoiling.
However, food poisoning still persists even in the cold winter. This is because, in addition to pathogenic E. coli, there are noroviruses. Norovirus survives even at temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, making it a major cause of food poisoning in winter.
There is no specific treatment for food poisoning caused by norovirus infection, like the common cold. However, in the case of children and the elderly, caution is needed because in severe cases, it can lead to death. In relation to this, we have summarized five facts you need to know about food poisoning caused by norovirus based on data from the American science media outlet ‘Sciencedaily’.
“Symptoms of infection vary from person to person.”=Some people are more susceptible to norovirus than others. There are several types of norovirus, and the symptoms the virus causes vary depending on the person’s genetic makeup. Some people have symptoms that disappear in just one day, while others take several days or weeks.
“The contagious power lasts a long time.”=Norovirus causes abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, but symptoms usually recover naturally after 1 to 4 days. However, the virus can still be shed from a person’s body, both before and after symptoms disappear.
It lasts several months in healthy people and years in patients with compromised immune systems. It is similar to the herpes virus, where carriers spread the virus without any symptoms.
“There are also aftereffects.”=Norovirus has the potential to cause other intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome and colitis. This is because viruses change the ecosystem of normal intestinal bacteria or interact with other bacteria. However, the mechanism by which it causes intestinal disease is not yet known.
“What is the best precaution?”=Norovirus is widely spread in public places. In particular, the chance of becoming infected is very high if you eat contaminated food or come in contact with contaminated objects in such places. It is a good idea to wash your hands frequently and, if necessary, disinfect nearby furniture and objects.
“Vaccine is under development”=There is no vaccine for norovirus. However, in studies using mice, results were obtained that slowed down or killed the virus. According to a recent report in the British daily Guardian, a British research team has begun clinical trials of the world’s first messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine against norovirus.
Source: kormedi.com
