Kerala reports two confirmed cases of Norovirus among school-going children

According to government sources, Kerala reported two confirmed instances of Norovirus among school-aged children in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, in June 2022. Sources say the Kerala Social Security Officer has been requested to provide a full report, which will be delivered soon. An estimated 685 million cases of Norovirus are seen each year, with 200 million cases among children under the age of five, according to an ANI report.

In the month of June of 2021, the first verified Norovirus outbreak was detected in the Alappuzha region of Kerala. In 2021, the Alappuzha municipality and surrounding panchayats reported 950 instances of acute diarrhoeal illnesses attributable to Norovirus. The outbreak, which lasted 1.5 months, was Kerala's first documented Norovirus outbreak.

Norovirus is a viral illness that is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis globally. The symptoms of Norovirus include acute onset of diarrhoea and vomiting. Emerging evidence suggested that the Norovirus infection is associated with intestinal inflammation and malnutrition, and may cause long-term morbidity.