PHE510-Milestone one

.docx

School

Southern New Hampshire University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

510

Subject

Health Science

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by ColonelHeatBuffalo17

Norovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters in British Columbia, Canada 1 Lizette Perez Southern New Hampshire University PHE 510 Dr. Ayesha Johnson 3/5/2024

Norovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters in British Columbia, Canada 2 The raw oyster norovirus outbreak in Canada occurred in 2022. Nearly 200 people were affected with the norovirus. The oysters were collected near British Columbia, Canada, with distributions to restaurants and businesses in several states including Hawaii, California, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Washington state, Florida, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans immediately shut down the affected areas. Upon further investigation, they found a correlation between the outbreak and raw sewage discharge from fishing vessels possible sewer overflows, and overflow from local septic systems. The U.S. Coast Guard inspected nearly 3,323 vessels last year checking for sewage discharge compliance in American waters right next door to some of B.C.'s oyster farms. Upon the completion of inspections, they determined non-compliance, and issued three citations for non-compliance from nearby vessels. (Petrovich, 2022) . Norovirus, or as its sometimes referred to “stomach bug”, or “stomach flu”, is a communicable virus that is highly contagious causing acute gastroenteritis. Norovirus can affect adults and children of all ages and can be life threatening. The most frequent and common symptoms of the virus are stomach pains leading to nausea, fever, vomiting headache, diarrhea ,and body ache. MedScape reports about 50% of cases of foodborne gastroenteritis in United States are caused by norovirus. Worldwide, about 1 out of every 5 cases of acute gastroenteritis is caused by norovirus (Zartash Zafar Khan & Chief Editor: Michael Stuart Bronze, 2023) . CDC reports noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis in people. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines, causing an acute onset of severe vomiting and diarrhea (Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 2012) . Communicable diseases such as the norovirus are easily transmitted through vomit and diarrhea.

Norovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters in British Columbia, Canada 3 In 1972, Norwalk virus was discovered due to an outbreak of gastroenteritis in an elementary school in Norwalk, Ohio. Since then, the virus as developed into a waterborne and foodborne virus. The form of transmission of viruses that cause gastroenteritis are via the fecal- oral route. This shines a light on the importance of following proper hygiene, and food handling safety regulations. The CDC reports that foodborne diseases are ultimately caused by contamination of food and can occur during food production, delivery to its final destination, and consumption chains like restuarants. They can result from several forms of environmental contamination including pollution in water, soil or air, as well as unsafe food storage and processing (Organization, n.d.) . Each year in the US, the norovirus affects nearly 21 million people, including 900 deaths which are mostly associated with adults over the age of 65. Due to its biological and molecular component, this pathogen is of a great concern when relating to the overall public heath of the world. Norovirus is highly contagious; it only requires a few particles to spread. Yearly its reported that atleast one in 10 people around the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, leading to thousands of deaths worldwide. Since children are more vulnerable, they’re affected at higher rate than adults with nearly over 100,000 deaths every year in children younger than 5 years of age. The prevalence of death in children is mostly related to diarrhea diseases leading to dehydration. Other serious consequences of foodborne diseases include kidney and liver failure, brain and neural disorders, reactive arthritis, cancer, and death. Foodborne diseases are closely linked to poverty in low- and middle-income countries but are a growing public health issue around the world (Organization, Foodborne diseases, n.d.) . Biology plays a crucial role in public health planning and development. Microbiology is the understanding of a disease’s mechanism. By studying cellular and molecular processes, we gain insights into disease pathways, risk factors, and potential interventions. These interventions

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help