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Minnesota health department detects new norovirus strain
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A relatively new strain of norovirus in the United States is responsible for a recent outbreak in Minnesota, according to the state’s health department.
State health officials said the strain, called GII.17 Kawasaki, caused several outbreaks in Asia last winter. It was first detected in the U.S. in November 2014, according to a report published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Amy Saupe
“There have been multiple outbreaks caused by this genotype this season across the U.S., and several even reported in Maryland from last season when it was circulating in Asia,” Amy Saupe, MPH, foodborne disease epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health, told Infectious Disease News. “This is the first time we have seen it cause an outbreak in Minnesota, however.”
GII.4 has typically been the predominant genotype that infects humans, according to the report.
“Every few years, a new strain of norovirus emerges and causes many illnesses,” Saupe said in a press release. “We don’t know yet if this new strain will lead to an increase in the number of outbreaks reported, but it could. If we’re meticulous about washing our hands and handling food properly, we may be able to limit the impact.”
According to the CDC, norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne illnesses in the U.S. and contributes to 19 million to 21 million illnesses, 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths each year. The virus is transmitted through feces or vomit from someone who is ill or was recently sick.
“Fecal-oral transmission sounds gross, but it’s important for people to understand that they may have gotten their norovirus from food, and that they could pass the virus to others by handling food, even after their symptoms are gone,” Saupe said in the release.
Norovirus can remain present in stool several days after clinical improvement, according to Minnesota’s health department. Most illnesses can be prevented thorough handwashing for at least 20 seconds and proper food handling.
“Norovirus tends to hit especially hard during the winter season, so now is a good time to get in the handwashing and norovirus prevention habit,” Saupe said in the release.
Disclosure: Saupe reports no relevant financial disclosures.
Reference:
Parra GI, Green KY. Emerg Infect Dis. 2015;doi:10.3201/eid2108.150652.