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Norovirus, a calicivirus, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S. Person-to-person spread usually occurs by the fecal-oral route, contaminated food or water, or aerosolized vomitus; fomites are less frequently implicated.
On February 8, 2007, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis was reported in an elementary school in Washington, DC. Initially, 27 students and 2 staff members became ill during a 5-day period. The most common symptoms were nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and the duration of illness was brief. Hours after the District of Columbia Department of Health (DCDOH) was notified of the outbreak, infection-control procedures including increased handwashing and bleach decontamination of shared environmental surfaces were…