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The article discusses a study which examines the resistance and susceptibility of humans to norovirus infection, which is recognized as the leading cause of gastroenteritis in children and adults. Topics include the intermediary factors that affect susceptibility including secretor status affecting gut microbiota composition, the interaction of noroviruses with secretor status and the diverse secretor and non-secretor human histo-blood group antigens that increased susceptibility.

The duration of immunity to norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis has been believed to be from 6 months to 2 years. However, several observations are inconsistent with this short period. To gain better estimates of the duration of immunity to NoV, we developed a mathematical model of community NoV transmission. The model was parameterized from the literature and also fit to age-specific incidence data from England and Wales by using maximum likelihood. We developed several scenarios to determine the effect of unknowns regarding transmission and immunity on estimates of the duration of immunity. In the various models, duration of immunity to NoV gastroenteritis was estimated at 4.1 (95% CI 3.2-5.1) to 8.7 (95% CI 6.8-11.3) years. Moreover, we calculated that children (<5 years) are much more infectious than older children and adults. If a vaccine can achieve protection for duration of natural immunity indicated by our results, its potential health and economic benefits could be substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which described foodborne norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. during the 2001-08 period. A definition of a foodborne disease is provided, along with the scope of the data collected for each outbreak. The categories of food preparation settings in outbreaks are commercial, institutional, private and other. Results of the study showed that norovirus was the confirmed or suspected cause in 46% of 6,355 foodborne outbreaks. It also found that outbreaks were more frequent during the winter season than the rest of the year. It cites food handling, consumption of contaminated raw food and inadequate cooking as factors that contributed to contamination.

The author focuses on environmental transmission of norovirus due to vomiting on aircraft. He mentions that public vomiting in direct transmission can spread norovirus and can lead to outbreaks and from the time of vomiting norovirus occurs a week later. He also mentions that the use of sodium hypochlorite can least prevent the outbreak and he suggests for an additional study to find the needed disinfectants or sanitizer that are safe and effective when norovirus outbreak occur.