2018 Winter Olympics Plagued By Norovirus

There were more than 200 confirmed cases of the norovirus in South Korea as of Feb. 16, according to Reuters. The virus has infected at least two athletes at this year's Olympics.

What is the norovirus?

The norovirus is also referred to as the “winter vomiting bug," Lee-Ann Jaykus, the scientific director for NoroCORE, a food safety initiative that’s funded through a $25 million grant from the USDA, told Fox News.

The virus is not uncommon, as roughly 21 million Americans get the virus each year, according to the CDC.

The norovirus enters the body through the mouth, reaches a person's gastrointestinal tract and inflames the stomach or intestines, or both. As a result, it causes nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea, which leads to dehydration. It can also cause fever, headaches and body aches.

While the symptoms can be severe, most people recover within days.

How does it spread?

The norovirus, which has different strains, can spread easily —especially in closed spaces, Jaykus said.

A common way the virus is transmitted is through close contact with an infected person. This is either directly or indirectly; such as sharing a bathroom, a dorm room or another communal space. Cruise ships, schools and nursing homes “are the most commonly reported settings for norovirus outbreaks,” according to the CDC.

More specifically, however, the virus spreads through fecal matter and vomit.

Catching the norovirus has become a common trend on cruise ships, but why are the vacation boats such hotbeds for the stomach virus?

Why are cruise ships such hotbeds for the norovirus?

When an infected person vomits or defecates, “massive amounts [of the virus] are excreted,” Jaykus explained. “There are millions to billions of particles in one just one gram.”

“It only takes a few virus particles to make people sick,” she added.

The virus also spreads through food and contaminated water.

Food handlers who are sick and don’t practice adequate hygiene can easily infect other people. Infected water can also spread the illness, though this more commonly occurs in developing countries, Jaykus noted.

Reference: http://topglobalnews.org/health-fitness/what-is-norovirus-2018-winter-olympics-plagued-by-vomit-inducing-bug-3/