HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-02-15, Page 15Wednesday, February 15, 2017 • Signal Star 15
Norovirus outbreak in Huron County, VanastaDayiare potentially affected
Shaun Gregory -'
Postmedia Network
Suffering from stomach
pain or fever? Disregard
the thought of the flu, you
may very well be one of
several people affected by
a norovirus in Huron
County.
The Huron County
Health Unit has
announced an "outbreak"
of norovirus in the region,
with the highly contagious
illness falling right on
track with its habitual
winter season.
The better part of the
sickness - which draws its
name from Norwalk, Ohio
where it is said the first
outbreak happened in
1968 - lasts a day or two.
The most common symp-
toms are vomiting and
diarrhea.
"We are seeing (this) all
throughout Huron County
with all different age
groups," stated. Huron
County Health Unit public
health inspector Jessica
Van Geffen.
According to Van Geffen,
noroviruses can .pack a
punch with only a limited
amount of contact between
person-to-person, with the
young and elderly often
being more vulnerable to
the virus due to their
weaker immune systems,
she said.
"(It's) a really nasty bug
because it doesn't take a lot
of the actual virus to make
you sick," Van Geffen said
Feb. 9, the same day her
organization posted a
media release, while also
mentioning it does not
totally leave your system
and it's possible for
reinfection.
"Your body doesn't really
fill the immunity."
Van Geffen said the virus
may also have surfaced at
the Vanastra Early Child-
hood Learning Centre, with
some children presenting
symptoms similar to those
of a norovirus. However,
Van Geffen said it has not
been confirmed to be the
virus.
Though the virus is cur-
rently considered an out-
break, Van Geffen told
the Expositor when places
such as daycares and
retirement homes notify
the Heath Unit, it only
Huron County Health Unit
issued an outbreak for the
norovirus.
takes three people to be
affected in a small area to
signify the somewhat
alarming term.
The easiest way to con-
tract a norovirus is from
hand contact, so she urges
Huron County residents to
wash their hands fre-
quently with soap and
warm water.
"It also can be on sur-
faces, so clean and disinfect
commonly touched sur-
faces, door knobs, tele-
phones, remote controls
and keyboards," she noted.
Van Geffen said there
could be more cases out
there since "most people
don't commonly go to the
doctor for it."
If you come in contact
with the virus, here are two
useful tips to recover:
• Drink lots of fluids to
prevent dehydration.
• Stay home and rest for at
least 72 hours.
There is currently no med-
icine or vaccine to treat peo-
ple with the norovirus
illness.
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