Natalie Angier, wrote about noroviruses in yesterday’s New York Times. Her family had a run-in with a norovirus after New Year’s Eve, and she did some research into norovuiruses. Part of what she found is this:
Its sour suite of symptoms is often referred to as “stomach flu,” but norovirus infection is distinct from
Doctors call it "acute gastroenteritis." To many other people, it’s "stomach flu" (though real influenza is a respiratory, not digestive, illness). Whatever you call it, a sudden illness involving diarrhea, vomiting or both is a miserable thing. And occasionally — as demonstrated by the recent deaths linked to E. coli-tainted spinach — it can
The Plainville Citizen reports that a new government report shows that rates of certain foodborne illnesses, such as infection from E. coli bacteria, are dropping due to better food industry policies. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use caution when it comes to food preparation and storage, especially as the weather gets warmer and people start dining in their backyard or packing picnics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 million people contract foodborne diseases every year, affecting more people than the common cold. But many of the symptoms of food poisoning mimic those of the garden-variety flu, sometimes leaving people to wonder if their symptoms were caused by something they ate or by a virus they picked up another way.
Continue Reading Food Poisoning or Flu?