Epidemiology of norovirus and viral gastroenteritis in Ontario, Canada, 2009–2014

Abstract

Background: Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in Canada. The illness causes great morbidity and high societal costs. The objective of this article is to describe the epidemiology of norovirus in the province of Ontario, Canada from 2009 to 2014. Methods: To assess activity of norovirus and viral gastroenteritis (VGE) in Ontario, three datasets were acquired from the provincial government: two traditional surveillance datasets (outbreak and laboratory) and syndromic surveillance data (telehealth), all spanning 2009–2014. All outbreaks, laboratory submissions and telehealth calls were first assessed for total VGE. Norovirus and norovirus-like illness totals were calculated as a proportion of VGE to estimate agent-specific activity levels. Affected institution types, sexes and age groups were also analyzed. Results: Between 2009 and 2014, 41.5% of VGE outbreaks, 63.4% of VGE laboratory submissions and 36.6% of all acute gastroenteritis-related (not restricted to viral causes) telehealth calls were attributed to norovirus and norovirus-like illness in Ontario. The most commonly affected institution type was long-term care homes and the most commonly affected age groups were younger (younger than five years) and older (older than 65 years) individuals. Females were slightly more frequently affected than males. Conclusion: Norovirus and norovirus-like illnesses were the leading cause of VGE in Ontario between 2009 and 2014. They comprised the greatest percentage of VGE when compared with all other VGE-associated viruses. Additional work is needed to determine all component costs and necessary public health actions to reduce the burden of disease.

In Vitro Antiviral and Virucidal Activity of Ozone against Feline Calicivirus

“…The Caliciviridae family includes several viral pathogens of humans and animals [ 19 ], including NoVs (genus Norovirus ), regarded as major etiological agents of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in human population [ 20 , 21 ]. NoVs are associated with AGE in the elderly and newborns, and are also known as “winter disease” [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Human NoVs (HNoVs) cause approximately 200,000 deaths per year worldwide, and a major modality of virus transmission is represented by the fecal–oral route [ 21 ].…”