VOILENT STOMACH FLU rips though the NATION

Violent Stomach Flu Rips Through the Nation

01/9/07 BY ANITA MANNING
USA TODAY

Stomach viruses tearing through communities from California to the
Carolinas wrecked the December holidays for some, and they are getting
the New Year off to an uncomfortable start for many others.

The most likely culprits, experts say, are noroviruses, the most common
cause of
contagious gastroenteritis, better known as the "stomach flu.'' Cases
occur every winter, but health officials say that in recent weeks they
have seen two to three times as many cases as usual.

The virus, best known as the cause of cruise ship outbreaks, is easy to
catch, hard to wipe out and seems to be everywhere at once right now.

Last week, San Quentin State Prison closed to new prisoners and
visitors after nearly 500 inmates and guards fell ill with vomiting,
diarrhea, stomach cramps, headaches and low fever. Similar symptoms
have been plaguing staff and residents of nursing homes in several
states. College and pro athletes have missed games. Hundreds of
patients have sought help in emergency rooms since mid-December.

Norovirus infection usually clears up after two or three days, but
medical epidemiologist Marc-Alain Widdowson, a norovirus expert at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the misery of those
days shouldn't be dismissed.

"When you're ill with this thing, you're very ill,'' he says. "People
(can) vomit over 20 times a day.''

Norovirus can be spread through contaminated food or water, causing
large outbreaks. About half of food-borne diseases are thought to be
caused by norovirus, the CDC says.

But this winter, it is spreading mainly from person to person through
communities, and experts believe the majority of cases are unreported.

Once it's in the house, experts say, it's tough to wipe out. It can
linger for days on
surfaces such as children's toys, keyboards, telephones and doorknobs,
and both vomit and stool are highly infectious. It is still present in
the stool up to three weeks after the patient recovers, so health
officials stress the importance of hand washing, especially after using
the bathroom and before preparing food.

The virus causes illness year-round, though like many, it is more
common in colder months. Why it's so widespread this winter is not
known, Widdowson says. "Some years, it does seem to be a lot worse than
others, and this is one of those.''