New Strain of Norovirus Is Circulating in the U.S.
新種諾羅病毒在美國傳開
By Alexandra Sifferlin
Piggybacking off (脫離) this year’s influenza (流行性感冒) epidemic (<流行病的>傳播), a new strain (種、族) of the highly contagious (傳染性的) norovirus has reached (抵達、傳到) the U.S. from Australia.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC，美國疾病管制預防中心) reports in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (每周發病和死亡報告) that the new norovirus strain, called GII.4 Sydney (GII.4雪梨，這種新型諾羅病毒的名稱)
, is currently the leading cause of norovirus outbreaks (爆發) in the U.S. and accounted(佔) for 58% of cases of the infection (感染) in December.
Often confused (混淆) with the stomach flu because of its contemporaneous (同時發生的)circulation (流通、傳播) with influenza during winter months, norovirus causes 21 million cases of illness, often involving severe (劇烈的) vomiting (嘔吐)
and diarrhea (腹瀉); 70,000 hospitalizations (住院治療) each year in the U.S.; and 800 deaths. While influenza is a respiratory illness (呼吸系統疾病), norovirus, which comes in five forms, favors (偏愛) the stomach (胃) and intestinal tract (腸道), causing inflammation of tissues (組織發炎) that leads to pain, nausea (噁心) , as well as diarrhea and vomiting. According to the CDC, about 51% of the cases in the U.S. were caused by person-to-person transmission (人對人傳染) and 20% resulted from contaminated (弄髒的、受汙染的) food. Most infections occur (發生) in places where large numbers of people aregathered (聚集), such as schools, nursing homes (療養院) and cruise ships (郵輪), where the virus can pass easily from host (宿主) to host.
The new strain of norovirus was first identified (鑑定) in March 2012 in Australia and has since sickened people on several continents (大陸、大洲). Historically, the GII strains have caused more severe illness than other versions (變化型) of the virus, but officials at the CDC says it is too early in the season to determine (斷定) if GII.4 Sydney is infecting people at higher rates than in previous years. The norovirus season runs from November through March and cases typically peak (達到高峰) in January.
“Although most of the time you recover (復原、恢復健康) after 24 or 48 hours, [norovirus] is a reason for people to come to the emergency room (急診室) and is evenresponsible (作為原因的) for a small number of death each year. It’s not a completelyinnocuous (無害的) virus and can certainly ruin (毀滅) a vacation,” says Dr. John Treanor,chief (主任) of the Infectious Diseases Division (傳染疾病部) at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
There are no treatments (治療) for norovirus, other than (除了) riding out (安全度過) the infection, but Treanor and a group of scientists are currently testing a vaccine (疫苗) developed by LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals (藥物，這裡做為藥廠名稱). The shot (疫苗) contains a part of the norovirus’ outer layer (外層), which they hope will generate a strongimmune (免疫的) response (反應) in those who get immunized (使…免疫).
A vaccine would be critical (關鍵性的) for preventing (避免) the disease from escalating(逐步上升) in populations (人數); because it spreads (擴散) so quickly, norovirus infections are difficult to contain (控制). “You really only have to be exposed to (暴露在) a couple of viral particles (病毒粒子) to get sick,” says Treanor. “This makes it very contagious (傳染性的) because when you have norovirus, you are dispersing (傳播) literally (實在的、不加誇飾的) millions of particles. When it only takes one or two to make the next person sick, it translates into very high contagiousness.”
Fortunately (幸運地), the same things you do to protect (保護) yourself from flu (流行性感冒) also work in holding off (使…無法接近) infection with norovirus. The CDCrecommends (建議) the following (下述的):
Wash your hands carefully with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom or changing diapers (尿布) and before handling (觸摸) food.
Carefully wash produce (農產品) and seafood before cooking and consuming (吃/喝光) them.
If you’re sick, wait two to three days after you recover before preparing food for anyone.
Immediately clean any infected or contaminated surfaces (表面) and wash laundry (穿過的衣服、待洗的衣服) thoroughly (徹底地、認真仔細地).
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