Page 68 - GPHS Environmental Public Health Standards (Foundation of Public Health) v1

What is Norovirus?

➢ Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes
vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get infected and

sick with norovirus.

➢ Noroviruses belong to the family of Caliciviruses
(norovirus and sapovirus).

➢ They are a group of non-enveloped, single-stranded
RNA viruses that primarily cause acute
gastroenteritis (AGE), inflammation of the stomach
and/or intestines.

➢ Noroviruses were previously called Norwalk or
Norwalk-like viruses. They were named after the
original Norwalk strain, which caused an outbreak
of gastroenteritis in a school in Norwalk, Ohio in
1968.