Norovirus infecting Triangle

With flu season already under way, that other annual assault on our innards - norovirus - has begun.

Outbreaks of the gastrointestinal illness have popped up in at least eight counties across the state, including Wake and Orange, and are likely to be present in others, according to the state public health officials.

Norovirus spreads rapidly, particularly in places where large numbers of people congregate, such as schools and homes for the elderly.

It can generally be distinguished from flu by the main symptoms, which are vomiting and diarrhea, said David Sweat, an epidemiologist with the N.C. Division of Public Health. Both can trigger body aches, but flu targets the respiratory tract with symptoms such as lung congestion and sore throats.

Norovirus outbreaks generally spring up in the fall and last into early spring because the virus that causes it lasts longer outside its hosts in cooler, damp weather, he said.

It can be easily transmitted by touching surfaces or ingesting foods or liquids that have been contaminated by the virus, or by direct contact with people who are infected. Symptoms also include nausea and stomach cramps and, in some cases, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.

People who are infected can emit trillions of virus particles, and those can be hard to remove from surfaces where they're deposited, such as countertops.

It can strike suddenly and in most people lasts for a day or two, though they can remain contagious for longer.

There's no specific medication to treat norovirus, so the best way to handle it is prevention, said state officials.

As in flu, the effects can be particularly harsh on small children and the elderly. Dehydration can occur rapidly and may require medical treatment or hospitalization.

The counties where outbreaks have occurred so far also include Mecklenburg, Pitt, Alamance, Cabarrus, Catawba and Stokes. It's also likely to have infected small numbers of people in other counties, Sweat said

"So we've seen it in urban areas, rural areas, the eastern part of the state and the western part," Sweat said. "It's pretty much everywhere in the state."

Wake, Orange cases

In Wake County, there have been suspected cases in several locations, said Wil Glenn, a spokesman for the county health department. He declined to say how many cases but said it was a routine number for this point in the year. None of the facilities where they have occurred were schools, he said.

In Orange County, there have been two clusters of similar illnesses reported since Christmas, one affecting about 20 people and one affecting about 55 people, said Susan Rankin, a nurse with the county health department. Both were in workplaces.

The good news: Methods for controlling it can be effective if followed properly.

In Orange, while the number of cases in each location jumped rapidly, as is characteristic of norovirus, within two days of implementing control measures in both locations, the number of new cases dropped rapidly, Rankin said.