Norovirus Infection
Medical Author:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhDDr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
How are infections with noroviruses treated?You treat gastroenteritis caused by noroviruses by managing complications until it passes. Dehydration caused by diarrhea and vomiting is the most common complication. Do not use medicines, including antibiotics and other treatments, unless your doctor recommends them. To prevent dehydration, take frequent sips of a rehydration drink (such as Pedialyte). Try to drink a cup of water or rehydration drink for each large, loose stool you have. Soda and fruit juices have too much sugar and not enough of the important electrolytes that are lost during diarrhea, and they should not be used to rehydrate. In cases of severe dehydration, fluids may need to be replaced through an IV (intravenously). Read about the treatment of a norovirus infection » SOURCE: Top Searched Norovirus Infection Terms:
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Norovirus Infection OverviewInfection with norovirus causes a person to develop a rapid onset of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and occasionally stomach cramping (all symptoms of gastroenteritis). In addition, the person may feel tired, have muscle aches, headache, and a low-grade fever (less than 101 F) with chills. The symptoms last about one to two days. Although no long-term problems persist or develop with this viral infection, dehydration (loss of body water) may be significant enough to require medical treatment. Norovirus was probably first noticed by Dr. J. Zahorsky in 1929 and termed "winter vomiting disease." In 1968 in Norwalk, Ohio, there was an outbreak of gastroenteritis thought to be caused by a virus. The virus was termed the Norwalk agent (also termed particle or virus). It was classified as a "small round virus" and later, after genetic studies, classified as a member of the family Caliciviridae, with a single strand of RNA for its genome. The name of the genus, Norovirus, was approved in 2002 by an international committee. Researchers suggest that norovirus is responsible for about 50% of all outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the U.S. and about 90% of epidemic nonbacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. Most outbreaks or epidemics occur in places where people come together in close contact (for example, dorms, hospitals, prisons, cruise ships, schools, and nursing homes). Norovirus infections are transmitted person to person, by contaminated food and water, and by viruses on contaminated surfaces. |
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Norovirus
Dehydration in Children Overview
Dehydration means that a child's body lacks enough fluid. Dehydration can result from not drinking, vomiting, diarrhea, or any combination of these conditions. Rarely, sweating too much or urinating too much can cause dehydration . Infants and small children are much more likely to become dehydrated than older children or adults, because they can lose relatively more fluid quickly.
Causes of Dehydration in Children
- Dehydration is most often caused by a viral infection that causes
fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and a decreased ability to drink or eat.
- Common viral infections causing vomiting and diarrhea include
rotavirus,
Norwalk virus, and adenovirus.
- Sometimes sores in a child's mouth (caused by a virus) make it painful to eat or drink, which helps to cause or worsen d...
- Common viral infections causing vomiting and diarrhea include
rotavirus,
Norwalk virus, and adenovirus.
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