New strain of Norovirus causes outbreaks in SLO County

PASO ROBLES — Within the past month, a new strain of Norovirus has caused at least three outbreaks of illness in San Luis Obispo County, two in restaurants and one in a long-term care facility.

All three outbreaks were caused by a new variant of Norovirus, the GII strain. Noroviruses are the primary cause of viral gastroenteritis in the United States, and the leading cause of foodborne illness. Each year, Norovirus infection causes an estimated 21 million illnesses in the United States and 70,000 hospitalizations.

For the complete article see the 12-28-2012 issue.

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