Norovirus News and Research

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Norovirus (formerly Norwalk agent) is an RNA virus (taxonomic family Caliciviridae) that causes approximately 90% of epidemic nonbacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world, and may be responsible for 50% of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the United States.

Highly-infectious sickness bug can be killed by copper and copper alloys

New research from the University of Southampton shows that copper and copper alloys will rapidly destroy norovirus - the highly-infectious sickness bug. The virus can be contracted from contaminated food or water, person-to-person contact, and contact with contaminated surfaces, meaning surfaces made from copper could effectively shut down one avenue of infection.

28 May 2013

SDCL researchers to use BioMark equipment to test for infectious diseases

Saskatchewan patients will benefit from faster, more accurate disease identification, thanks to a ground-breaking new technology in infectious disease testing at the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory.

10 May 2013

Researchers test protease inhibitors with potential for prevention, treatment of norovirus infection

A Kansas State University-led team is researching ways to stop the spread of norovirus, a contagious stomach illness that infects one in 15 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

25 Mar 2013

Study: Contaminated water used to dilute pesticides could be source of human norovirus

Human norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is one of the most common stomach bugs in the world. The virus is highly contagious, causing vomiting and diarrhea, and the number of affected cases is growing.

14 Mar 2013

Sydney 2012 norovirus strain continues to spread globally

A new strain of norovirus known as Sydney 2012 has caused a significant number of acute outbreaks of the infection during the 2012–2013 winter season and continues to spread worldwide.

30 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: $4,000 a night for a 'cozy' hospital room; Texas effort to provide women's health care falls short

Call it the $55,000 cat bite. That's the rough total in medical costs (so far) for a cat bite on my hand that turned into an infection that turned into surgery that turned into a week in the hospital.

16 Jan 2013

Boston declares flu emergency as aggressive viruses spread across the nation

The country is in the grip of three emerging flu or flulike epidemics: an early start to the annual flu season with an unusually aggressive virus, a surge in a new type of norovirus, and the worst whooping cough outbreak in 60 years. And these are all developing amid the normal winter highs for the many viruses that cause symptoms on the "colds and flu" spectrum.

11 Jan 2013

Link between norovirus outbreaks and excess hospitalization and mortality in nursing homes

In a study that included more than 300 Medicare-certified nursing homes, rates of hospitalization and death were substantially increased during outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis vs. non-outbreak periods, according to a study appearing in the October 24/31 issue of JAMA.

19 Oct 2012

New tools can help track healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have each released new tools and information to help track deadly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in nursing homes and other long-term care settings.

19 Sep 2012

Public Health Wales uses Luminex's xTAG GPP for outbreak investigations during Olympic events

Luminex Corporation announced today that Public Health Wales is using Luminex's CE marked xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) for outbreak investigation activities during Olympic and Paralympic training and events taking place in Wales. Results of a substantial diagnostic validation of the GPP test conducted by The Public Health Wales Microbiology laboratory team at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, are anticipated to be published in a peer reviewed journal

From Luminex 6 Aug 2012

UN food standards body agrees on new regulations to protect health of consumers across the world

The UN food standards body has agreed on new regulations - including the maximum level of melamine in liquid milk formula for babies - to protect the health of consumers across the world. Other measures adopted include new food safety standards on seafood, melons, dried figs and food labelling.

5 Jul 2012

Cera announces new citrus ready-to-drink oral rehydration solution

Cera Products is proud to announce its new CeraLyte-70 Citrus Ready to Drink in a 500 ml environmentally green container with a re-closeable top and a long shelf-life. No mixing is needed, saving health care staff time when fast patient hydration is needed.

2 Jun 2012

Clorox Healthcare to be showcased at APIC 2012 conference

Clorox Professional Products Company, a division of The Clorox Company, will showcase Clorox Healthcare, its new strengthened comprehensive product offerings and educational initiatives to meet healthcare professionals' diverse needs, at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 2012 Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 4-6.

31 May 2012

Reusable grocery bag can play a role in spreading norovirus infection

Oregon investigators recently mapped the trail of an outbreak of a nasty stomach bug among participants in a girls' soccer tournament to a reusable open top grocery bag stored in a hotel bathroom. Their findings, which illustrate the role that inanimate objects can play in spreading norovirus infection, appear in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

9 May 2012

Lime juice and solar disinfection improve quality of drinking water

Looking for an inexpensive and effective way to quickly improve the quality of your drinking water? According to a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, sunlight and a twist of lime might do the trick.

18 Apr 2012

Rotavirus infects certain blood types

Whether you become infected by some strains of rotavirus may depend on your blood type.

16 Apr 2012

PURE Bioscience launches new disinfectant/sanitizer product

PURE Bioscience, Inc., creator of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, today reported the launch of the PURE Complete Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting System.

12 Apr 2012

Extreme norovirus flexibility may allow for broad antibody recognition

Twenty million Americans get sick from norovirus each year according to data released last week by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Often called vomiting illness, it can spread rapidly on cruise ships, and in dormitories and hospitals. Recent data from the CDC shows deaths from gastrointestinal infections have more than doubled and have become a particular threat to the elderly.

22 Mar 2012

Norovirus outbreak at the George Washington University campus

Officials at the university and the District of Columbia's Health Department confirmed 85 cases of the gastrointestinal illness were diagnosed since Monday. The virus was found in locations including the central Foggy Bottom campus and the Mount Vernon campus in Northwest Washington. Members of the university also reported cases off campus.

18 Feb 2012

Study identifies norovirus as major cause of all infection outbreaks in U.S. hospitals

Norovirus, a pathogen that often causes food poisoning and gastroenteritis, was responsible for 18.2 percent of all infection outbreaks and 65 percent of ward closures in U.S. hospitals during a two-year period, according to a new study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

1 Feb 2012