norovirus
noun
nor·o·virus
| \ ˈnȯr-ə-ˌvī-rəs
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Definition of norovirus
: any of a genus (Norovirus) of small, round, single-stranded RNA viruses that includes a single species (species Norwalk virus) with various strains causing gastroenteritis in people and animals (such as cows, pigs, and dogs)
People spread the virus by eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus, touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then touching their mouth or having direct contact with another person who is infected.— Cherie Black
Note: In people, noroviruses cause gastroenteritis marked chiefly by sudden onset diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps.
— see norwalk virusExamples of norovirus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
USA TODAY Sports PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – Korean officials on Wednesday confirmed additional cases of norovirus at the Pyeongchang Olympics, bringing the total of people infected to 86. — Rachel Axon, USA TODAY, "Number of people with vomit illness symptoms grows at 2018 Olympic Games," 7 Feb. 2018 Just ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony in, Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics officials are battling an outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. — Sarah Gray, Fortune, "Winter Olympics 2018: Norovirus Outbreak Raises Concerns," 8 Feb. 2018 Even before the play begins, the backstage crew is scurrying around like cruise ship workers trying to conceal a norovirus outbreak. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "Review: How funny is ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’? Depends on your appetite for pranks and pratfalls," 12 July 2019 It is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency as a disinfectant and sanitizer that can kill 99.9 percent of salmonella, norovirus, influenza A, staph, and other germs. — Janelle Nanos, BostonGlobe.com, "A Burlington startup lets you make your own nontoxic cleaners at home," 20 June 2019 Chipotle has suffered from bad publicity over food safety, including a multi-state E. coli outbreak in 2015, a norovirus outbreak, rodent sightings and reports of ill workers and customers last year. — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, "Chipotle closes its only burger restaurant, Tasty Made, in Ohio," 2 Mar. 2018 Last year brought a norovirus outbreak at one of its Virginia locations, rodent sightings at a Dallas one and reports of ill workers and customers at a Los Angeles restaurant. — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, "Chipotle, now helmed by new CEO, is making Wall Street happy," 25 Apr. 2018 The researchers also found that norovirus was responsible for 38 percent of the outbreaks, salmonella was responsible for another 30 percent, and shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli (STEC) was implicated in 6 percent. — Korin Miller, SELF, "These Are the Foods That Cause the Most Illnesses, the CDC Says," 30 July 2018 More than 600 students in Utah stayed home from school on Thursday over concerns about a potential norovirus outbreak. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "600 Utah students stay home as officials warn of norovirus outbreak," 7 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'norovirus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for norovirus
norovirus
noun
nor·o·virus
| \ ˌnȯr-ō-ˈvī-rəs
\
\
Medical Definition of norovirus
1
capitalized
: a genus of small, round, single-stranded, highly infectious RNA viruses that includes a single species (species Norwalk virus) with various strains causing gastroenteritis in people and animals (such as cows and dogs)
2
: any virus of the genus Norovirus
People spread the virus by eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus, touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then touching their mouth or having direct contact with another person who is infected.— Cherie Black, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 29 Dec. 2006
Note: In people, noroviruses cause gastroenteritis marked chiefly by sudden onset, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps.
— see norwalk virus