Health Care Provider Information on Norovirus

On this page:
Required Disease Reporting
Clinical Features 
Laboratory Diagnosis
Treatment
Outbreak Prevention and Control

Required Disease Reporting

• Norovirus is not reportable to the Minnesota Department of Health.
• However, persons ill with norovirus are subject to restriction on daycare attendance and food handling.
• In addition, suspected outbreaks of norovirus at schools, child care facilities, health care facilities, and long-term care facilities should be reported to the Minnesota Department of Health. For more information on reporting, see the Communicable Disease Rule. For outbreak materials, visit the Outbreaks at Schools,Child Care, and Long-term Care Facilities page.

Clinical Features

• CDC: General Information Norovirus
  Includes information about clinical features, transmission, trends, and more.

Laboratory Diagnosis

• In the last 10 years, diagnosis of norovirus illness in outbreaks has improved with the increasing use of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Currently, 27 state public health laboratories (including the MDH Public Health Laboratory) have the capability to test for noroviruses by RT-PCR. RT-PCR can be used to test stool and emesis samples. Identification of the virus can be best made from stool specimens taken within 48 to 72 hours after onset of symptoms, although good results can be obtained by using RT-PCR on samples taken as long as 5 days after symptom onset. Virus can sometimes be found in stool samples taken as late as 2 weeks after recovery.
• Testing at MDH is reserved for outbreak investigations; routine clinical testing is not available at MDH.

Treatment

• No specific therapy exists for viral gastroenteritis. Symptomatic therapy consists of replacing fluid losses and correcting electrolyte disturbances through oral and intravenous fluid administration.

Outbreak Prevention and Control

• Norovirus in Healthcare Settings –Prevention and Management of Outbreaks (PDF)
  Presentation at 2008 ACIP conference on the prevention and management of norovirus in health care settings.

Do you suspect that you have a foodborne or waterborne illness? Visit reporting suspected foodborne/waterborne illnesses.