Norovirus: Don’t let that bug go viral

Norovirus is one of the worst of the winter bugs and it’s due to strike again this year. But there are ways you can limit the risk of getting the lurgy.

The winter vomiting bug affects 600,000 to 1million people in Britain each year (Picture: Rex)

As temperatures plummet, a host of nasty bugs and viruses rear their ugly heads. Among them is the dreaded norovirus â more commonly known as the winter vomiting bug â which affects 600,000 to 1million people in Britain each year. Itâs the collective name given to a group of bugs that cause acute gastroenteritis. And, while the illness isnât usually serious, it is debilitating and highly infectious. Symptoms including headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea and aching limbs can last for up to 60 hours, leaving sufferers bed-bound.

Last year, cases reached a record level of 1million because of a particularly cold winter. Many hospital wards had to be closed and NHS trusts struggled to cope. While this yearâs figures arenât expected to be as high, experts believe a more virulent new strain of the virus might be on its way.

Dr Roger Henderson, of the Linden Hall Surgery in Shropshire and author of several health books, says viruses can adapt. âAll viruses can subtly transform or mutate over time, leading to potentially more aggressive strains,â he says. âPeople can be affected by noroviral infections many times, as the body cannot build up a resistance to it.â

In most cases, the norovirus is unpleasant but not life-threatening, but it can cause severe dehydration in children and elderly people, proving fatal if this leads to organ failure.

In February 2010, 89-year-old Doris Peake from Blurton, Staffordshire, died after picking up the virus while in hospital. Schools and hospitals are breeding grounds for infection as the norovirus thrives in semi-closed environments. Those who are already ill are also more susceptible, so residential and nursing homes are vulnerable too.The virus peaks between October and March but cases can occur at any time of year. In September, two schools in Portsmouth and one in Peterborough closed after a suspected outbreak and as early as July, visitors were banned from Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside after the admission of infected patients from local nursing homes.

Red alert: The dreaded norovirus (Picture: Corbis)

Because the norovirus is a thousand times more infectious than flu, itâs almost impossible to avoid catching it once you are exposed.

âIt is spread by touch, especially via the hands of an infected person, which is why schools, nurseries and hospitals can be badly affected,â says Dr Henderson. âIf hygiene policies are not practised, the virus can easily spread, especially since it can last for days on surfaces.â

The norovirus is spread by inhaling infected droplets from the air, by touching someone who has it, or by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces or foods. A person is infectious from the few hours before they begin showing symptoms to 48 hours after they end.

You can limit the risk by washing your hands â especially after using the toilet and before touching food. Professor Chris Hawkey, president of the British Society Of Gastroenterology, says: âHygiene is vital and everyone should be washing their hands at least five times a day if they want to reduce their risk.â

Dr Ron Cutler, a microbiologist at Queen Mary, University of London, advises people to use alcohol-based wipes and gels when soap and water arenât available. âThey donât kill the virus as previously thought but they are better than nothing,â he says.

There is no known cure for the norovirus but in February, scientists at the University of Southampton revealed they had designed an inhibitor, which prevents the enzyme in the norovirus from working. Southampton virologist Professor Ian Clarke hopes it could lead to an anti-viral treatment.

âThis is an important step in the rational design of new drugs to treat infections,â he says. âNow we know the drug works in the test tube, the next step is to see whether we can modify and deliver it to the site where the virus grows.â

The advice for those who think they may have the norovirus is to drink plenty of fluids and to rest. They should avoid sharing utensils, have their own towels and flannels, and wash any infected bedding and clothing at a hot temperature.

âFluid replacement is essential to prevent dehydration from diarrhoea or vomiting,â says Dr Henderson. âSo rehydration drinks are a good idea to help to provide the correct balance of salt, water, and sugar.â