Norwalk Disease in Denmark

[dktekno]

This Fall in Denmark is a very sad fall.

With lots of fear. A population of 5.5 million people here gets an increased chance of getting the Norwalk Disease.



At Spring, polish raspberries were imported from Poland and used in
desserts at the danish hospitals country wide. Everybody who ate that
portion got sick. On every hospital country wide. They found out it was
because of these imported raspberries but the authorities did not do
anything.



Then at the beginning of this Fall, a company used raspberries - from
the same imported raspberries from Poland and everybody who ate the
desserts got sick too.



All in all 1000 people got sick and 5 people died because of Norwalk Disease.



Because of this large country wide-infection, the norwalk virus has been spread among the population.



This will spread to rest of Europe and from there spread to Asia and USA. And then we will get a Norwalk Disease Pandemic!!!!!



WHAT CAN I DO TO AVOID GETTING THAT VIRUS?????

[mjewell]

Wait wait wait...before you start panicking, Norwalk is a virus, is it not? It isn't caught from eating food is it? It soumds like the people who ate the raspberries got food poisoning. How are the two connected?


I definitely wouldn't eat any raspberries if I were you!

[PhilB]

The Norwalk virus is always present in the population but like other
diseases, it has peaks (the winter months). If they have
identified a source of infection, don't eat rasberries that's
all. It's true that there may be secondary infections like from a
parent to a child or the reverse but it does not jump on people the way
the influenza does (i.e. spread through coughing etc..). So I would not worry too much about it.
The best defense is still to wash your hands frequently.








Edited by: PhilB

[gubba]

www.astdhpphe.org/infect/norwalk.html


check out this site and read about the norwalk virus.


i think many will be surprised

[ontariogirl]

I remember a few years ago there was an outbreak because people were eating some kind of fruit, I think it was strawberries. It was a ecoli bacteria. If anyone lives in Ontario, Canada may remember this, I may be wrong about the fruit.



I wouldn't panic, hopefully with all fruit and vegetables people wash them really good. On the news tonight they are telling people if the bought apple cidar from 2 farms to not drink it, the cidar is high with bacteria.



It is scary about a Norwalk Pandemic, but I can't really see that happening. Why isn't WHO looking into this? Why aren't they banning these raspberries?

[madisonsmom]

I agree. Recall the raspberries for goodness sake!

[japa]

I have never heard about gastrointestinal viruses being referred to as "pandemics"; I think that word has to do with a virus being spread over a large geographical area. I don't believe that is the case with Norwalk virus.


Don't worry about a pandemic. And of course, don't eat raspberries for now. You'll be fine.


edited to add: that it sounds like the deaths came about because these people were already sick and compromised and elderly. It happened in hospitals and nursing homes.


Also, it looks like these were outbreaks limited to certain hospitals and so on. These people ate the cold berries, broke out with the virus a day later, and then the virus died out. There is not any sustained transmission of the virus all over the place. These are separate isolated populations who came in contact with the raspberries, got sick, and that's the end of it. Edited by: japa

[stella9]

Norwalk DOES begin as a foodborne illness that gets spread from person to person from hand to mouth contact. As for a pandemic starting. I seriously doubt it.


Stella

[crystalmom]

They have been talking alot about pandemics lately in the news, and if you notice they are talking about a flu (meaning respiratory), stomach type illnesses are rarely noticed because they end in such a short time with most people. Don't fear a sv, fear another Spanish flu pandemic, which is not l;ikely to happen either. Norwalk only kills those who are very ill already. Don't worry, and don't eat the raspberries.


Crystal

[x hannah x]

Is anyone notcing a pattern with this guy where he startsts some kind of panic inducing thread and then doesn't come back?

[yenn]

Yeah, thanks to him for working me up!!!!