Cases of the highly infectious stomach bug norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea among other symptoms, have risen to their pre-pandemic levels in Canada.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says that since January, increasing numbers of norovirus cases have been reported to the National Enteric Surveillance Program , “which monitors data for 14 different pathogens that cause foodborne illness, including norovirus.”
Lawrence Goodridge, a professor of food microbiology at University of Guelph, said the current increase in cases is relative to the past three years during the pandemic, when most people were distancing and washing their hands more often. Influenza and other diseases also decreased during the pandemic for similar reasons, he added.
“If one person in a household or some place like a daycare setting or cruise ship or some place where there’s a large groups of people, get it, then it can spread and often does spread to large numbers of people,” Goodridge said. Norovirus is most common in the winter and typically peaks in January, said Dr. Alon Vaisman, infectious disease control physician at University Health Network. Vaisman said the vast majority of people who get it are able to tough it out at home, but people who are immunocompromised are more likely to have severe symptoms and go to the hospital.
“Also, it rips through very fast. So by the time you realize what’s going on, your little kid has already vomited on you somebody in your family has already used the same toilet as you, contaminated the surfaces in the washroom or in the kitchen — before you realize what’s going on,” Vaisman said.
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