It’s not here yet. But it’s spreading fast: a new, virulent strain of norovirus, an intestinal and very contagious virus that causes projectile vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, cramps and fever, and can incapacitate people for up to three days. This new strain is called GII.4 Sydney, because it started in Sydney, Australia, last March. It has since spread to the United States, where 140 outbreaks have been reported since September, but none yet in Florida.
Nevertheless, the Flagler County Health Department is urging vigilance by alerting schools and other places where viruses thrive and spread fast. “We got the information from the CDC and the Florida Department of Health last week,” Patrick Johnson, director of the Flagler Health Department, said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. “We blasted that information out to hospitals, providers, schools, ALFs, day cares.” ALFs are assisted living facilities and nursing homes. “We just put the word out because in those types of facilities, if somebody comes down with this, it can spread rapidly.”
Norovirus is commonly known as the “winter vomiting disease.” Its previous strain was called GII.4 New Orleans. There was a norovirus outbreak in Flagler County in February 2010, with 80 cases reported on a single day (Feb. 12), most centered at Rymfire Elementary school. “It was a big deal, you look at the data and lots of kids were sick,” Johnson said.
Norovirus is not related to the flu, which has abated in Flagler after what appeared to be a pronounced outbreak in early to mid-January, when most of those affected were in the 5-to-19 age range, though schools did not experience an unusual spike in absenteeism, Johnson said. In the last two weeks, the only spike the Flagler Health Department has seen is of parents bringing children in for immunization. On Friday morning, 24 children signed in in the first 45 minutes, “which is highly, highly, highly unusual,” Johnson said. “We were pleased with that. We still have some vaccination for children.”
In preparation for the norovirus, the health department has sent out testing kits to schools and other such places. In case of an outbreak, the department will be looking for a stool sample to immediately test and determine whether the county is in fact on the crest of an outbreak or not. That sort of testing was not readily in place at Rymfire three years ago. (Read the alert sent to schools.)
The Flagler Health Department analyzed the 2010 outbreak through many of the Daytona State College nursing students who went to Rymfire Elementary in response, and found that 12 of 15 students who got sick had not eaten in the cafeteria, which means that the disease spread person-to-person quite rapidly.
Other than being clean, there is no antidote, no vaccine, no antibiotic (antibiotics are not effective against viral illnesses). The disease will take two to three days to run its course, preventing most people from being able to work or go to school. The most important treatment is water: those infected and experiencing the various symptoms must drink lots of water or such drinks as Gatorade. If they want to take anti-diarrheal medicine, they should consult with a doctor first.
Outbreaks are limited to one or two weeks except in closed environments (such nursing homes and assisted living facilities), and as is often the case with such viruses, those most susceptible to it are the very young and the very old. Every year in the United States some 21 million people contract the disease (that’s 7 percent of the population), some 70,000 people end up at the hospital, and 800 die from it.
For more details, see the complete Norovirus presentation by the Flagler County Health Department, below.
Norovirus Health Department Presentation
Magnolia says
Swell. Thanks for the good news. Seriously, thanks for the warning.
Betsy says
Oh Sh*t…..This doesn’t sound good. I hate vomiting and I really hate diarrhea. And after two weeks with the FLU, I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Be careful eating out in restaurants and fast food places.
Only cook at home for the next 3 months. By that time the Easter Bunny Plague should be here !!!
Magnolia says
Look at it this way, Betsy….it’s an easy way for us to lose about 5 pounds. (GROSSSSSSSSSSSSS!)
Wash your hands frequently, everybody!
Terry says
Well I’m probably going to start a riot but here goes. Did you know that the Beach sand harbors over a thousand different bacteria’s. And because of pollution in the ocean and the waves that bring them onto the beach, it would be wise NOT to go barefooted or dig in the sand. Each area is a little different in WHAT bacteria is actually laying in the sand. Wear your flip-flops !!!!
confidential says
Wash hands often specially after arriving home from work or anywhere. Use sanitizer in your cars and those wet hand towels offered free at the entrance of our supermarkets and groceries shopping’s, wipe your hands and the shopping cart handle with them. Keep your distance from sneezing or coughing individuals “with all due respect”. We are two working elders and haven’t had the cold or flu for the past 15 years as far as we recall, maybe longer if we can memorize… But also “unfortunately for us” we do not have grandchildren either, that are the cutest young flu and cold viruses carriers to their grannies…Is hard not to hold grand kids even when they have the cold, I know.
Eat fruit and veggies besides all the other no so good things you love and don’t smoke cigarettes or weed, over drink, over eat and instead exercise even if by just walking, around the hood also gives you a chance to interact with your neighbors. Socializing is good for the brain keeps you alert. Life is fun and only one and is precious and fragile and better appreciate it while you have it!
Nancy says
I really think my husband had this virus. He is in a rehab/nursing facility and last week he had projectile vomiting, diarrhea, cramps and I think he may have had a fever. He was so sick he could not go to dialysis. It was awful! He told me that the virus was going through the facility. So why was it not reported? uhmmmm makes me wonder……..
KC says
We were never tested but I’m quite certain my entire house went through this right after Christmas. My husband started with it and within 2 days the rest of the house had it. All of the systems described, very abrupt in onset and it lasted a full 3 days. It was horrible. We live in Palm Coast and only one child still in high school but it was over break. My daughter lives down in Boca Raton, off campus for FAU, and her entire house just went through it as well, and it lasted 3 days.
scooby don't says
My son was in the ER all day yesterday with projectile vomiting. Not pretty! He thought it was food poisoning but turned out to be the norovirus.
Jay says
Sounds like what I had last weekend, out for the count for 4 days…… fun times