Experts warn of norovirus infections in Beijing
14/1/2007 10:44
Norovirus infection cases have been occurring in China's capital, sources
with the municipal disease control and prevention center announced
yesterday.
But the sources did not specify the number of cases.
Norovirus
is one of the most common gastrointestinal viruses affecting humans. Its
symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Symptoms
usually appear within 24 to 48 hours of exposure, and typically last for one to
three days.
The sources said the cases were not connected. However, there
have been more diarrhea cases related to rotavirus and norovirus infections this
winter than last year, the sources added.
Experts warned that citizens should
be careful about food safety. They said the best way to prevent infection is to
eat less uncooked food, especially sea food such as oysters.
Health officials
also emphasized the importance of regular hand-washing with soap and warm
water.
In the fall of 2006, there were massive outbreaks of norovirus
infection in Japan, Singapore and Italy, with 357,600 people contracting the
virus in less than two months.
Xinhua
|
