Norovirus (NV) Infection: Airborne & Offensive

December 16, 2008 - Fox News unfolds the world according to the Norovirus. This virus accompanies nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping, low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue (pretty much like the flu). But this virus, once called Norwalk (after Norwalk Ohio), has other plans for everyone in it's path.

In UK, Europe many are turned away from hospitals, 999 thus far. The spreading of this airborne virus collects 200,000 cases a week. For this information by text, type in #36288. Since July a noted 1575 cases emerged, including a US Montgomery County nursing home outbreak. This virus is airborne, although drinking and eating contaminated food can offer this virus on a silver platter. In England, during 2007, health protection agencies warn that cases will escalate.

America Beware!

According the Marine Microbiology Group, the Norovirus (NV) has been known for some time. NV strains results in two groups, the GI and GII along with 20 subgroups. That's one heck of a viral network. The GII is said to be the culprit of 73% outbreaks from the year 1997 to 2000. The next thing that is added within this article makes one think of "who were the test subjects", as it continues to describe NV results.

With 24 to 48 hours of incubation, 30% were asymptomatic, highly contagious which results in rapid disease that spreads within the areas surrounding. Therefore, nursing homes, daycare centers, and cruise ships were mentioned as being more vulnerable to this virus, however I would like to add some to this list offered by the MMG. Don't forget that also includes military tents, hospitals, planes, and most areas where people are found gathered within four walls. What about water? In this 2004 report offered by the CDC shares a case where NV travels through swimming water. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they can swim into you. Oh, and again, it's airborne. The list should rise at this point. This information and findings can be found prior to 2004-2005, it is now 2008.

Gastoenteritis has claimed a substantial amount of US military personnel lives during deployment, as the mortality rates were high (Oyofo et al., 1999). Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, during 2000 & 2002, was hit hard with gastoentieritis resulting from Norovirus infection. On the USS Germantown during March to May of 1996, 49 suffered from acute gastoenteritis, as 45 % of them tested positive for the NV infection. Back to the years 1992 to 1997, four large outbreaks unfolded on Navy aircraft carriers. The same infections effected British soldiers deployed to Afghanistan during May of 2002. NV is committed to be a world concern, as it spreads faster than butter these days.

With NV, can genetics be passed by birth? "The high genetic diversity that exists among NV's" (according to MMG) says it all, as it is still being tested. NV has the inability to grow in cultures, that's one strong "private" strand. I would hate to be the test subject injected with that virus to see what the scientists could come up with to contain the outbreaks. Walking away from the MMG article, we step into a world of possibilities, and in most cases, the probabilities.

FACT: History Replays Itself

In 1995, Dr. Garth Nicolson, uncovers evidence that biological agents that surfaced during the Gulf War had been manufactured in Houston, TX and Boca Raton, Florida. The tests were given to prisoners in the Texas Department of Corrections. Something that has been continued, even when others believed it did not. In 1996, the Department of Defense admitted that Desert Storm soldiers were exposed to chemical agents, but not many tuned in. The reason I add these examples is due to the outstanding reports that have unfolded through time when it comes to "creating airborne viruses", as some claim that President Bush continues these tactics. Take Heather Wokuch, a woman that believes that Bush knows far more than what he leads others to believe. Where did this virus come from?

Connecting the Dots

In USA Today, during 2007, the reports reflected that the holiday season has been effected by many infected with Norovirus. A couple months later on January of 2008, TimesOnline.co.uk reports that the Norovirus has spread in epidemic levels. Rewinding to 2002, the CDC looked into Norovirus. Further rewinding to 1972. The Norovirus was first called the Norwalk-line virus after Norwalk Ohio. In the last ten years alone, this virus has grown massively. Why out of the last couple hundred years, mainly in the last ten years? Just another "whisper" in future's history.