Clinical information - Norovirus

Incubation period

Usually 24 to 48 hours.

Common clinical features

Vomiting, diarrhoea, fever.

Reservoir

Gastrointestinal tract of man.

Transmission

Person to person by the faecal oral route; risk of infection from aerosols of projectile vomit. Environmental contamination, especially of toilets; gloves should be used by cleaners. Contaminated food and water, especially bivalve molluscs.

Other relevant features

Infectivity lasts for 48 hours after resolution of symptoms. The infective dose is extremely low.

Last reviewed: 15 August 2008