This Tasty Drink Can Infect You With The Norovirus Winter Vomiting Bug

Norovirus is making a lot of people worried, especially in different parts of Europe. Known as the winter vomiting bug, it can spread from one person to another, and even by eating food that was prepared by somebody infected by the virus. Experts now warn of one drink that could give you this nasty ailment.

Experts gave a warning against homemade smoothies. They could be the means of spreading the virus. It wasn’t actually the smoothies that were at fault, but rather, it’s because of the frozen fruit that it normally has.

Norovirus and Frozen Fruits

According to a report on Express, when the virus gets attached to frozen fruit, especially strawberries and raspberries, it will be able to survive even frozen temperatures. Since frozen fruit are consumed as they are, they are likely to become carriers of the virus and pass it on to humans.

The discovery that norovirus can be passed on from frozen fruits was made by researchers at the National Food Virology Reference Centre, Canada. The study analyzed norovirus outbreaks from 2008 to 2018, those of which involved frozen fruits.

Out of the 15,000 recorded cases, 80% was gotten from frozen raspberries. As per the explanation of Dr. Neda Nasheri from Health Canada, fresh produce can have viral contamination through direct contact with the surface that was contaminated. Because there’s no proper decontamination process, the contaminated surface gets frozen, along with the virus.

“Due to their structural integrity, foodborne viruses are able to withstand hostile conditions such as desiccation and freezing, and endure for a long period of time without losing their infectivity,” said Dr. Nasheri.

Spreading the Virus

Dr. Nasheri said that frozen fruit is just one of the ways that the virus spreads. There are other ways how it is acquired by humans. For instance, when a surface was touched by an infected person, then he or she touches his mouth, then he can acquire the virus. Obviously, coming in close contact with an infected person is another way.

Health experts recommend that if you are infected by the virus, you must refrain from going to the hospitals or surgeries. You could easily spread the virus to others. Worse, there is no immediate cure, and the only best way to avoid it is through prevention.