A Norwalk-like illness has sent hundreds of people to area doctors in recent weeks.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, body aches, a general run-down feeling and a mild fever.
The illness, a form of gastroenteritis, usually runs its course in two days or less, according to Doug Schultz of the Minnesota Department of Health.
"It started popping up in Minnesota mid-November, and it is still very active," Schultz said.
The Minnesota Department of Health received reports of 25 separate outbreaks of Norwalk-like illnesses, involving as many as a thousand or more people, during the six-week period beginning in November.
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Dr. Paul Bilstad, an emergency room physician at MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, said area walk-in clinics started seeing large numbers of young adults with Norwalk-like symptoms around Thanksgiving.
"At its peak I estimate we were seeing more than 100 cases a week," Bilstad said.
Doctors at Innovis Hospital in Fargo are seeing a similar volume of patients.
Dr. Dan Hunt estimated 20 percent of Innovis' emergency room visits are linked to Norwalk-like sicknesses.
The virus is spread through ingestion of infected feces or vomit particles.
Regular hand washing, especially before eating, greatly reduces risk.
"Somebody (an infected person) goes to the bathroom and they don't wash their hands very well," Hunt said.
All it takes is a handshake from that person to put someone else at risk for infection, he said.
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Shawn Stuhaug, an administrator at Rosewood on Broadway in Fargo, said 30 employees called in sick last month with Norwalk-like symptoms.
Schools, hospitals, catered events, private social gatherings and work sites are other places where people have contracted the virus, Schultz said.
Dehydration is a major concern when dealing with the virus. To prevent it, take frequent sips of beverages like 7UP and Gatorade, Bilstad and Hunt said. If the symptoms persist, see a doctor.
The sick should refrain from preparing food -- commercially or for their own families -- for an additional 72 hours after they get well, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
The infected often mistake Norwalk-like illnesses for the flu, but the two viruses are very different.
Influenza impacts the respiratory system, Bilstad said. Symptoms include a runny nose, nonproductive cough, headaches, fever and sore throat.
So far there have been only been two reported cases of influenza this year in Minnesota and no cases so far in North Dakota, though flu season is just beginning.
Another big difference between the two viruses is how they are spread.
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A person can contract the flu by inhaling saliva droplets, not so with Norwalk-like illnesses Schultz said.
There are several viruses that can cause gastroenteritis, including the Norwalk virus, which is named after Norwalk, Ohio, the town where it was first discovered in 1972.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Baird at (701) 241-5535
