What is Norovirus?
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that is the most common cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illnessopen_in_new. The illness is often called “food poisoning,” a “stomach bug,” or the “stomach flu” (even though it is not related to the flu, which is caused by Influenza). About 20 million people get sick from Norovirus each year. Infection occurs most frequentlyopen_in_new in closed and crowded environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, childcare centers, schools, and cruise ships. Infected food service workersopen_in_new account for 70% of Norovirus outbreaks. While this virus can spread anytime, outbreaks occur most often from November to April.
Where is it Found?
What Does it Infect?
How Does it Spread?
Preventing the Spread of Norovirus
Norovirus can spread by the following means:
- Eating food that is contaminated with norovirus, which can happen when:
- An infected person touches food with contaminated hand
- Respiratory droplets from an infected person land on food
- Food is grown or harvested with contaminated water
- Drinking water that is contaminated with norovirus, which can happen when:
- A septic tank leaks into a well
- Water is not properly treated for contaminants
- Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with Norovirus and then putting your fingers in your mouth, which can happen when:
- An infected person touches a surface with contaminated hands
- Respiratory droplets or diarrhea particles from an infected person splatter onto surfaces
- Contaminated food, water, or objects are placed on surfaces
- Tiny respiratory droplets from an infected person spray through the air and enter another person’s mouth
- Accidentally ingesting contaminated water from a swimming pool or other recreational water source
- According to one studyopen_in_new, Norovirus was the second-leading cause of outbreaks in untreated recreational water from 1978–2010. It can live in water for several months or possibly even years.
People who are infected with Norovirus shed the virus in their poop. This is how it gets into the environment and can infect other people. Regular hand hygiene and surface disinfection are important preventative measures. Also avoid close contact with anyone who is sick. Since this virus can be found in contaminated water, proper water purification is a vital component in preventing its spread. Since household wellsopen_in_new can be a source of enterovirus infection, they should be tested regularly and properly maintained. Pools and other recreational water sources should be properly disinfected.
Get More Protection with UV Disinfection
In addition to the above preventative measures, Germicidal Ultraviolet (UV-C) water disinfection (in the dosage listed below) can inactivate Norovirus in well water, swimming pools and hot tubs, drinking water, and food prep water.
UV surface disinfection can benefit the food service industry, hospitals, nursing homes, childcare centers, schools, and cruise ships.
Learn about these applications:
View all UV-C Application Pages.
Our germicidal lamps produce ultraviolet wavelengths at 254 nanometers, the region of maximum germicidal effectiveness. Read our FAQ blog post to learn more. See dosage data below.
Norovirus: Classification & UV-C Dose for Inactivation
| Organism: | Type: | Disease: | UV Dose*: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norovirus | Virus | Food Poisoning | 15 mJ/cm2 |
* Nominal Ultraviolet dosage necessary to inactivate better than 99% of microorganisms. See sources below.
Norovirus Symptoms
Most people infected with Norovirus experience the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
Frequent diarrhea can lead to dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses. Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches. Most people become sick 12–48 hours after exposure to Norovirus and will recover within 3 days.
Sources on Norovirus
The above information can be found on the following pages.
- CDC: Vital Signs – Preventing Norovirus Outbreaksopen_in_new
- CDC: Preventing Norovirus Outbreaks infographicopen_in_new
- CDC: Foods That Can Cause Food Poisoningopen_in_new
- CDC: Healthy Swimming – Backyard Poolsopen_in_new
- Mayo Clinic: Norovirus Infectionopen_in_new
Dosage Source
Sensitivity of Bacteria, Protozoa, Viruses, and Other Microorganisms to Ultraviolet Radiation. Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Volume 126, Article No. 126021. August 20, 2021.
Learn More, Shop & Contact Our Specialists
Since 1963, we’ve been engineering and manufacturing germicidal ultraviolet equipment to neutralize harmful microorganisms in water, in air, and on surfaces. Visit these helpful pages:
Shop at AtlanticUltraviolet.com
- Shop UV-C Water & Liquid Disinfectionopen_in_new
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- Call (631) 273-0500, Monday – Friday 7am to 6pm EST
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