.Food-Borne Illnesses: Norovirus

According to Stop Foodborne Illness (2014), a food-borne illness is classified as an infection or irritation of the gastrointestinal tract caused by food or beverages that contain harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, or chemicals. There are a host of food-borne illnesses and the symptoms and prevention methods vary accordingly. For the purpose of this paper, the one that will be discussed is Norovirus. It is formerly known as the Norwalk Virus. Other common names are the stomach flu and gastroenteritis. It is very contagious, can reoccur many times within the same person, and can be very serious, especially in young children and older adults.