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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffNorovirus infection is highly contagious. Follow these suggestions to help prevent norovirus infection from spreading:
- Wash your hands. Thorough hand washing, especially after using the toilet or changing a diaper, can reduce the risk of transmission.
- Avoid contaminated food and water. Don't eat shellfish that may have come from contaminated waters. Throw out any food that may have been prepared by someone who was sick.
- Disinfect virus-contaminated areas. Use a solution of detergent and chlorine bleach. Where possible, allow bleach to stay on surfaces longer than 10 minutes.
- Stay home from work. This is especially important if you work in a food-handling job. You may be contagious as long as three days after your symptoms end.
References
- Norovirus: Technical fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/downloads/noro-factsheet.pdf. Accessed Jan. 26, 2009.
- Kapikian AZ. Rotaviruses, noroviruses and other gastrointestinal viruses. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/117938057-3/796394142/1492/1345.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50408-0--cesec17_16866. Accessed Jan. 26, 2009.
- Treanor JJ. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations and diagnosis of noroviruses, astroviruses and sapoviruses. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 26, 2009.
- Managing acute gastroenteritis among children: Oral rehydration, maintenance and nutritional therapy. Atlanta, Ga. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=4362&nbr=003287&string=dehydration. Accessed Jan. 26, 2009.
- Norovirus: Q&A. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/downloads/norovirus-faqs.pdf. Accessed Jan. 26, 2009.
