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Guangzhou, Jan 17 (IANS) A total of 103 students at a senior high school in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, have been infected with norovirus, local health authorities said on Saturday, noting that no critical or fatal cases were reported.

Norovirus, a common pathogen leading to acute gastroenteritis, typically causes symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. The students from Xinghui Middle School recently fell ill with symptoms preliminarily confirmed as caused by norovirus infections.

All 103 students are in stable conditions. The school campus has been disinfected, and students are subject to health monitoring and attendance checks. An epidemiological survey is also underway.

According to the Guangdong provincial disease control authorities, the province enters its annual norovirus epidemic season from October to March of the following year, Xinhua news agency reported.

Norovirus is a group of viruses that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. It’s a very common illness and it’s very contagious. Norovirus outbreaks usually happen seasonally in colder months. The infection is the Number 1 cause of foodborne illness in the United States.

An estimated 685 million cases of norovirus are seen annually, including 200 million cases amongst children under 5. The burden of norovirus is significant; norovirus causes an estimated 200,000 deaths per year, including 50,000 child deaths, primarily impacting low-income countries. Norovirus has been estimated to cost $60 billion globally as a result of healthcare costs and economic losses.

The first norovirus outbreak occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, USA, in a school in 1968. For this reason, the first strain of norovirus was known as the Norwalk virus.

Norovirus causes gastroenteritis, which some people may call the “stomach flu.” The influenza virus causes respiratory flu, not gastroenteritis.

Norovirus outbreaks occur most often between November and April in countries above the equator and between April and September in countries below the equator. There’s usually no specific season for outbreaks in areas on the equator.

--IANS

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