Norovirus Warning Issued in Jeonnam Region

Fourfold Increase in Detection Rate in the First Week of January, Says Provincial Health Institute

A researcher from the Jeollanamdo Institute of Health and Environment is conducting norovirus detection work. Provided by Jeonnam Province

The Jeollanam-do Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 15th that special caution is needed as the number of norovirus infection cases has recently increased.

Norovirus infection, which commonly causes symptoms of enteritis, is transmitted through the feces or vomit of an infected person, or through contaminated food or water.

It is mainly detected at high rates during the winter season, and even a small amount of the virus can cause infection.

In addition, asymptomatic individuals infected with norovirus shed the same amount of virus as symptomatic patients, making it easy for the virus to spread.

According to sample surveillance of acute diarrhea patients in Jeonnam from December last year to early January this year, the norovirus detection rate increased more than fourfold from 4.8% in the first week of December to 18.4% in the first week of January.

Recent group food poisoning cases related to norovirus have also been continuously reported, indicating that norovirus infection is spreading in the local community.

Norovirus is highly stable in the environment, maintaining its infectivity even at the chlorine concentration of ordinary tap water and at 60 degrees Celsius, making it difficult to remove from contaminated water. Long-term immunity in the human body is also difficult, so reinfection is frequent.

Park Sook, head of the Microbiology Department at the Jeonnam Institute of Health and Environment, emphasized, "To prevent norovirus infection, thoroughly maintain personal hygiene, avoid touching cooked or heated food with bare hands, and ensure that seafood and similar foods are heated to at least 85 degrees Celsius for more than one minute before consumption."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.