Noroviruses Case Study

Norovirus is a healthcare associated infection which can cause morbidity and mortality (Weber et al. 2010, pg. 25). Norovirus is spread through ingesting food or liquids that are contaminated with norovirus and also from touching or being in contact with objects and people who are contaminated with pathogens from norovirus (Weber et al. 2010, pg. 25). According to Weber et al. 2010 (pg. 26), approximately 20%-40% of hospital acquired infections are because of cross infections through the healthcare worker’s hands. A simple and effective solution to lowering the risk of spreading Reginald’s infection around the hospital is hand hygiene by healthcare workers and even visitors within the hospital

What is the Norovirus? It is a acute gastroenteritis that is highly contagious and can affect anyone of any age (CDC.gov). Basically, a relative of the stomach flu. It can be seen anywhere, but it is most commonly found on a Cruise ship because it can spread quickly in the tight spaces. It is also called the Norwalk virus, mainly because it was first identified as the cause of an outbreak at a school in Norwalk, Ohio (Disabilitytravel.com). There is no known cure, only certain treatments to relieve the symptoms that come with it (Disabilitytravel.com). It has been seen often in the media over the past few years that it is scaring people away from cruising, thinking if they cruise, they will get sick. This is a disease that has made cruise line companies cut

Viruses are extremely small organisms that may lead to illnesses in humans, animals and plants.Ranging from mild effects to sever disease. Norovirus is a genus of genetically diverse single-stranded RNA, non-enveloped viruses in the Caliciviridae family. The known viruses in the genus are all considered to be the variant strains of a single species called Norwalk virus.

The Norovirus belongs to the family called Caliciviridae. The norovirus causes gastroenteritis which is a condition that causes irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines. The norovirus is actually the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis.1

Education and training about the risks of Norovirus is one of the most important, if not most important, form of precaution. Staff of the aged-care facility must be adept to recognize early signs of outbreak, be prepared and knowledgeable to swiftly manage the outbreak and reduce their susceptibility to the outbreak as well. Having the right knowledge and skill in infection control, the nurses in the aged-care can provide optimum care for the elderly patient.

The etiological agent are different- Botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, in contaminated foods while the Norovirus is caused by various etiological agents that are classified in infectious agents and toxic agents (from toxins).

It is pertinent to understand the dissemination process of Norovirus. The most common way of Norovirus transmission is through direct contact with the infected person. Person shedding the virus is highly contagious. Being in a semi-closed environment with an infected person, such as a common room in a nursing home can also facilitate infection. Another method of catching the Norovirus is by faecal-oral route. It can happen by touching surfaces contaminated with vomit and/or faeces from an infected person, as well as touching other fomite harbouring the virus. In addition to that, consumption of contaminated food and shellfish is also associated with transmission of the. Knowledge in Norovirus transmission process is necessary in devising

This paper presents the principles of infection control and management of Norovirus outbreak in an aged-care facility. Firstly, a scenario of the case is provided. Also, a brief description of Norovirus and the current trend in Australia is illustrated. It is followed by the three important issues to be addressed relevant to the case: (1) transmission of Norovirus in a nursing home, (2) important precautions to limit the spread of the infection, and (3) special nursing requirements of the elderly patients. In order to manage the outbreak effectively, this paper will assert the importance of rapid detection of outbreak and implementation of good infection control protocol. Furthermore, this paper will also promote the quality of residents

During the fall of 2008, three outbreaks of norovirus on college campuses in California, Michigan, and Wisconsin were reported to the CDC (Roberts, et al., 2015). Based on the approximately one-thousand reported cases, including ten hospitalizations, and closure of one of the campuses, public health investigations were led by the respective states and local health departments to characterize the extent of the outbreaks and implement control measures (Roberts, et al., 2015).

virus is a highly contagious virus causing inflammation to the wall of the column and stomach in the gastrointestinal tract. It is also known as acute gastroenteritis [1]. Norovirus is easily transmitted from person to person through simple exposures to the disease. These exposures are through a contaminated environment or contact with contaminated substances such as vomit, faecal, saliva, mucus and other bodily fluids. The virus is most easily spreadable through interacting in small areas where bodily fluids and aerosolized substances are most likely to be shared [2]. Sunrise Nursing Home has two elderly female residents showing symptoms of Norovirus. Mrs. Annabelle Mason is a 96 year old recently having abdominal pain and 3 episodes of diarrhea. Mrs. Mary Biggs also feels unwell and has abdominal pain.

Viruses that maintain their genomes as several distinct RNA molecules are referred to as segmented RNA viruses. They are ubiquitous and infect a wide variety of animals, plants and bacteria. A shared feature of segmented viruses is their ability to exchange genome segments in toto during co-infection through a process called reassortment. When two or more viruses or virus strains infect the same cell, they can accidentally package each other’s genomic segments during replication into a nascent virion-producing hybrid progeny. Reassortment hence creates virions that contain a random amount of genome segments from each of the parent virions. http://www.nature.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/nrmicro/journal/v14/n7/full/nrmicro.2016.46.html.

Noroviruses (NoV) are important human pathogens and a major public health threat. Noroviruses are non-enveloped, single-stranded, positive sense RNA viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans (1-4). Noroviruses have been referred to as ‘cruise ship viruses’ from well-publicized cruise ship outbreaks although these outbreaks account for less than 1% of all outbreaks worldwide (5). The symptoms and illness associated with Norovirus infections is often referred to as ‘stomach flu’, despite little resemblance to the influenza virus. Noroviruses are responsible for 21 million infections and over 70,000 hospitalizations annually in the USA, and account for 10-15% of severe cases of gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years old (6). In

Food contamination can come from many sources from production, to delivery, and all the way to your plate. In a factory, unsanitary equipment and inadequate sterilization during slaughter can lead to contamination; as well as unclean processing and packaging. In retail outlets, inadequate refrigeration can be an issue, and in restaurants poor hygiene habits of cooks and servers introduce risks for contamination. In order to prevent food contamination, there are federal departments responsible for food safety. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), is apart of the Department of Agriculture, and is responsible for meat and poultry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is apart of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is responsible for everything not covered by the FSIS. State public health agencies and city and country health departments also continuously monitor food safety.

There are roughly “10 to 15 million infections in the US each year” (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016) due to a non-polio enterovirus infection. The rare strain known as Enterovirus 68 , EV-D68 was first isolated in 1962 in the state of California. It is one of a 100 known enteroviruses, within a group called ssRNA virus that also contains poliovirus, coxsakievirus, and echovirus. EV-D68 is non-enveloped. Unlink all other enteroviruses it displays acid liability and a lower optimum growth temperature. Enterovirus D68 was previously called human rhinovirus 87 by researchers. Multiple outbreaks have been documented in other countries including Europe, Asia and Africa. In 2014 the United States experienced a nationwide outbreak of more than 1,100 people, in 49 states, were affected by a respiratory illness caused by enterovirus 68. In 2015, zero out

1. Personnel and especially food handlers - must meet health standards and take great care to maintain a high level of personal health.