An outbreak of a highly contagious food & water borne viral gastro-enteritis with nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain has been reported in Kolkata over the last one week.
These patients have Norovirus that causes severe diarrhoea & vomiting.Children and adults usually report symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, headache, fatigue, body-ache and fever. Norovirus are highly contagious and can spread through food, water, close contact with a patient, or contaminated surfaces.
Advisory for prevention of Norovirus infection :
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating with your hands, and also before touching/ handling cooked food.
- Always eat freshly cooked food.
- Avoid street food.
- Do not eat food that is kept in the open. Ensure that the food you eat is covered properly.
- Do not eat stale food. Never consume stale food after reheating.
- Avoid eating raw food items like salad leaves, cucumber & tomatoes. Wash thoroughly with running water before consuming raw food.
- Do not drink tap water. It is better to drink packaged water from a reputed company or from a good and reliable water- filtration system.
Note :
If you get symptoms like- stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, weakness, dryness of mouth, headache, fatigue, body-ache and fever, contact a Doctor / Hospital immediately.
Start taking plenty of fluids with ORS orally if you have only diarrhoea without vomiting to replace lost fluid and avoid dehydration. If you do not have ORS, mix two tablespoonfuls of sugar and a pinch of table salt in a glass of water and drink until diarrhoea is controlled.
If you have diarrhoea with vomiting , intravenous fluid replacement will be necessary. Get admitted in a hospital.
In case of symptoms it’s better to consult a doctor and test to rule out Bacterial infection which might warrant antibiotics treatment.