By MARIE METTLER
Health Educator

So ... you’re not feeling so good, you are vomiting, have diarrhea and stomach cramping lasting a day or two? Think it’s the stomach flu? Better think again.
“The stomach flu is a myth,” says Kirk Smith, DVM, PhD, supervisor of the Foodborne, Vectorborne, and Zoonotic Disease Unit of the Acute Disease Investigation and Control Section of the Minnesota Department of Health. “When people say ‘stomach flu’ it causes a lot of confusion and some people think their influenza vaccine ought to protect against it, but it’s a totally different organism.”
According to Dr. Smith, what people refer to as the “stomach flu” — vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping last a day or two — is very often caused by Novovirus. One problem with the term “stomach flu” is the widespread belief that it is something you pick up through your daily activities, that it’s airborne, and that it can’t be prevented. Therefore, many people don’t realize that they could have picked it up from food; even worse, they don’t realize that they can spread it to others through food.
Novovirus is a group of viruses that can cause gastroenteritis, and inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Novovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in Minnesota. On-the-other-hand, influenza or “flu is caused by a virus that attacks the nose, throat, and lungs.
The Minnesota Department of Health and the Koochiching County Health Department want to alert our communities and food service industry, that Minnesota is currently experiencing numerous outbreaks due to novovirus. Novovirus is by far the most common cause of foodborne disease outbreaks in Minnesota and the rest of the United States. It causes vomiting, diarrhea, and aches that can incapacitate people for up to two days.
Preventing the spread of novovirus is basic ... wash your hands often, especially after using the bathroom! Wash your hands after changing diapers; before preparing foods; before eating. Also, if someone in your household is sick, wash your hands more often and clean and disinfect surfaces with household bleach immediately after vomiting or diarrheal accidents.
To find out more about novovirus; it’s symptoms and prevention, log onto the Minnesota Department of Health Web site at www.health.state.mn.us [1].