Mahek Sharan, Institute of Applied Medicines and Research, Ghaziabad
Norovirus is responsible for the 200,000 deaths every year globally. It affects the population across the world including the developed or developing countries. The developed countries are more severely affected by norovirus, with a record of 50,000 deaths in the winter months.
In a recent report of a routine surveillance in England, an outbreak of norovirus cases has significantly increased in a 5 week period of May to July. Public Health experts of England have issued a warning for this vomiting bug for all age groups as it has reached another level during the COVID-19 pandemic. This highly infectious virus has been reported to spread more widely than usual for the summer months. Unlike about 53 cases in usual, this year the outbreak has been reported to rise as high as 154. The source in most of the cases are of the preschool children in childcare facilities and nurseries that are spreading virus at home.
What is the norovirus?
The name “norovirus” was derived from a city in Ohio called Norwalk where the first outbreak happened in 1968. Norovirus is also known as the winter vomiting bug that causes gastroenteritis. Norovirus is a non-enveloped virus with the geometry of icosahedral. The virus has the protein coating of capsid with a diameter ranging from 23 to 40nm. There are two types of capsids: large capsids with T-3 symmetry and composed of 180 VP1 proteins; small capsids with T1 symmetry and 60 VP1 proteins.
The virus contains a non-segmented, linear and positive sense RNA as genetic material. Under electron microscopy, the virus particles show amorphous surface structure. The replication of norovirus happens in cytoplasm that involves the positive strand replication and the initiation of replication starts when the virus attaches to the host receptor.
The symptoms and way of transmitting norovirus:
The infection of norovirus is commonly transmitted by fecal-oral route. This route of infection happens by consumption of contaminated water or food or even from one person to another. Other ways of spreading norovirus is through the contaminated surface or the air from the infected person’s vomit. The most common age group that gets affected by the virus are the children under the age of 5.
The infection of norovirus causes various symptoms that are similar to corona virus and develop 12 to 48 hours after the exposure of the virus. Sometimes complications of the viral infection may include severe dehydration.
Treatment for Norovirus:
Norovirus is still an untreated virus as there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment available for it. The recovery from the virus typically starts within 1 to 3 days of the infection. Diagnosis of the norovirus is mainly dependent on the symptoms.
As it has always been said, “prevention is better than cure”.
Prevention of the norovirus involves proper disinfection of the contaminated surfaces along with proper hand washing. The sanitisers that are alcohol based are not effective against norovirus as it is non enveloped virus. Proper hydration of the body with sufficient fluids either orally or intravenously that does not contain caffeine or alcohol, helps to manage this disease.
Although there is no cure for this virus yet the analogue of 2’fluoro-2-deoxycytidine has been observed to inhibit murine, which is important for the macrophage replication.
What the officials are saying?
In most of the norovirus cases, the rate of outbreaks doubled from 105 to 236 between the months of May and July. The 65% cases were of nurseries or school and30% from in care homes. Public Health Experts have warned about the coming months as it can show a sudden rise in norovirus cases after the ease in Covid control measures. Officials have warned the citizens and advised them to take preventive actions against the spread of norovirus.
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References:
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/norovirus-outbreaks-increasing-in-england
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/16/norovirus-warning-bug-spreads-england-lockdown-eased
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