The viral gastroenteritis season occurs in winter and early spring.  According to the past-year disease surveillance data compiled by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), viral gastroenteritis is the most common illness for an ER visit during the Chinese New Year holiday. This year’s norovirus outbreak has been more serious than those in the past.  Hence, Taiwan CDC reminds the public to remain vigilant against viral gastrotenteritis and pay attention to personal and dietary hygiene when traveling and visiting friends and relatives to prevent infection during the 9-day Chinese New Year holiday. If symptoms pertaining to viral gastroenteritis such as watery diarrhea and vomiting occur, please stay home and refrain from visiting friends and relatives to prevent further spread of the disease.

Noroviruses are highly contagious and primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route by consuming contaminated food or water and coming into contact with things that have virus on them.  As norovirus is highly infectious, people who work with food should know the virus can easily contaminate food.  Therefore, food handlers who are sick with norovirus should refrain from working with food while sick and the public should maintain good personal hygiene habits such as avoid drinking unboiled water, avoid eating raw foods, and wash hands frequently to prevent norovirus from spreading.

As norovirus can survive a long time in infected patients’ vomits and feces and is highly resistant to disinfectants, infected patients’ vomits and feces are likely to cause contamination of the environment if not handled properly. As a result, Taiwan CDC advises the public to leave infected patients’ vomits and excrements in higher concentration of chlorine before ridding them. For any questions or further information, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.