Two school students have contracted the norovirus in Kerala. The students of Class 1 and 2 of a school in Kakkanad near Kochi were found infected, and three children are now under treatment. A senior medical officer of the district said 62 students and a few parents of the school exhibited symptoms following which two samples were sent for testing at the State Public Laboratory.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), norovirus infection is a viral illness that is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis globally, with symptoms including acute onset diarrhoea and vomiting. "The health condition of the children is stable. The Health Department personnel inspected the school which is now temporarily closed. We are holding online awareness sessions to the children and parents. The classrooms and the toilets have now been sanitised," the District Medical Officer said in a statement.
Last year, two children were found infected with the same virus at Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram. As many as 42 students of the school said they felt ill after consuming midday meals at the school, and after they were admitted to hospital and tested, it was found that two among them had contracted norovirus. All the children belonged to a school in Uchakada in Vizhinjam.
The virus spreads through contaminated water and food. The department said that it is highly contagious and urged the people to maintain hygiene. Norovirus can be transmitted through contaminated food, water, and surfaces, the Health Department said, adding that the initial symptoms are vomiting and/or diarrhoea, head and body aches.