norovirus

Also known as winter vomiting bug, winter vomiting disease, noroviruses, NV, Norwalk virus

Norovirus, also known as Norwalk virus, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. The infection, sometimes referred to as the winter vomiting disease, is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever or headaches may also occur. Symptoms usually develop 24 hours after being exposed, and recovery typically occurs within one to three days. Complications are uncommon, but may include dehydration, especially in the young, the old, and those with other health problems.

AI overview

Norovirus is a highly common virus that causes gastroenteritis, characterized by symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain that typically appear within a day of exposure and resolve within a few days. While most people recover quickly, the illness matters because dehydration can be a serious complication for vulnerable groups such as young children, elderly people, and those with existing health conditions.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Norovirus

GENUS

KingdomViruses
PhylumPisuviricota
ClassPisoniviricetes
OrderPicornavirales
FamilyCaliciviridae

Observations recorded8,455

诺如病毒（英语：Norovirus，NV），又稱為诺罗病毒、诺沃克病毒或膿融病毒，是一种引起非细菌性急性胃肠炎的病毒。諾羅病毒的特徵是感染人口密度較高和衛生環境差的地方，如郵輪。諾羅病毒主要由糞口途徑傳染，即食物被充滿病毒的糞便汙染所致，在人口密度高的地方也可能透過飛沫傳染。

via GBIF

Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Norovirus
Medical condition (new).synonyms: Winter vomiting bug, stomach bug
Medical condition (new).image: Norwalk.jpg
Medical condition (new).caption: Transmission electron micrograph of Norwalk virus. The white bar = 50 nm.
Medical condition (new).field: Infectious diseases
Medical condition (new).symptoms: Diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache
Medical condition (new).complications: Dehydration
Medical condition (new).onset: 12 to 24 hours after exposure
Medical condition (new).duration: 1 to 3 days
Medical condition (new).causes: Norovirus
Medical condition (new).diagnosis: Based on symptoms
Medical condition (new).prevention: Hand washing, disinfection of contaminated surfaces
Medical condition (new).treatment: Supportive care (drinking sufficient fluids or intravenous fluids)
Medical condition (new).frequency: 688 million cases per year
Medical condition (new).deaths: ~200,000 per year

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

9,392 papers

Updated classification of norovirus genogroups and genotypes.The Journal of general virology · 2019Chhabra P, de Graaf M, Parra GI et al.DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001318
The saga to monitor and control norovirus: the rise of GII.17.ReviewThe Journal of general virology · 2025Parra GI, Tohma K, Ford-Siltz LA et al.DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.002118
[Norovirus infections].ReviewEnfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica · 2010Fernández JM, Gómez JBDOI: 10.1016/S0213-005X(10)70009-4
Norovirus Gastroenteritis Outbreaks, Genomic Diversity and Evolution: An Overview.ReviewMymensingh medical journal : MMJ · 2021Khan MK, Alam MM
Animals as Reservoir for Human Norovirus.ReviewViruses · 2019Villabruna N, Koopmans MPG, de Graaf MDOI: 10.3390/v11050478
Norovirus mechanisms of immune antagonism.ReviewCurrent opinion in virology · 2016Roth AN, Karst SMDOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2015.11.005
Understanding the relationship between norovirus diversity and immunity.ReviewGut microbes · 2021Ford-Siltz LA, Tohma K, Parra GIDOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1900994
Norovirus gene expression and replication.ReviewThe Journal of general virology · 2014Thorne LG, Goodfellow IGDOI: 10.1099/vir.0.059634-0

via PubMed

~22 min read

Encyclopedic overview

23 sections

Contents

Signs and symptoms
Virology
Transmission
Classification
Structure
Genome
Evolution
Replication cycle
Pathophysiology
Diagnosis
Prevention
Hand washing and disinfectants
Healthcare facilities
Vaccine trials
Persistence
Detection in food
Treatment
Epidemiology
Human genetics
History
See also
References
External links

The virus is usually spread by the fecal–oral route. This may be through contaminated food or water or person-to-person contact. It may also spread via contaminated surfaces or through air from the vomit of an infected person. Risk factors include unsanitary food preparation and sharing close quarters. Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms. Confirmatory testing is not usually available but may be performed by public health agencies during outbreaks.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “norovirus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.