Dive Brief:
- A new report by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the norovirus costs more than $60 billion and affects 699 million people worldwide every year - and kills 291,000 people.
- The virus is the most common cause of food poisoning and stomach flu in the U.S. and is spread via ingestion of stool or vomit from an infected person through food or contaminated surfaces.
- The researchers argue in the report more attention should be focused on the norovirus which, because of its many strains, prevents lifelong immunity. Most people recover from the virus, but it can be deadly for the elderly and young children.
Dive Insight:
One of the main obstacles in researching the norovirus is that it cannot be grown effectively in cell culture - required for the development of diagnostics and vaccines.
The majority (85% to 99%) of the cost of norovirus are productivity losses, according to a blog in PLOS, with North and South American accounting for more than $22 billion each year. However, since many cases are not reported, this amount most likely underestimates the costs.
The blog author, Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, an associate professor of international health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, suggests that more attention and research be focused on preventing, controlling and treating norovirus.