Daijiworld Media Network – Foshan

Foshan, Jan 17: A total of 103 students at Xinghui Middle School in Foshan, Guangdong Province, south China, have been infected with norovirus, local health authorities reported on Saturday. Fortunately, all cases are stable, and no critical or fatal outcomes have been recorded.

Norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, typically leads to vomiting and diarrhea. The students began showing symptoms recently, which were preliminarily confirmed as norovirus infections. The school campus has been disinfected, and affected students are under close health monitoring and attendance checks while authorities conduct an epidemiological survey.

Guangdong provincial disease control officials noted that the province is in its annual norovirus season, which lasts from October to March. Globally, norovirus is a leading cause of foodborne illness, with an estimated 685 million infections annually, including 200 million cases in children under five. It causes around 200,000 deaths yearly, including 50,000 child deaths, primarily in low-income countries, and incurs an estimated $60 billion in healthcare and economic losses.

Norovirus, first identified during an outbreak in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1968, is sometimes referred to as the “stomach flu,” though it differs from influenza, which affects the respiratory system. Outbreaks typically occur between November and April in countries above the equator and between April and September in countries below the equator, while equatorial regions have no specific seasonality.

Health authorities in Foshan continue to monitor the situation to prevent further spread among students and staff.