FAIRMONT– With holiday gatherings soon before us, it’s important to be mindful of the importance of good hand washing and appropriate food handling, especially in light of norovirus outbreaks. According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), more than 40 outbreaks statewide have been reported this month, which is double the usual amount.

Tim Langer, a registered sanitarian with Health and Human Services of Faribault and Martin Counties, said norovirus is what people used to call the stomach flu.

“It’s not influenza. It’s a gastrointestinal illness that is spread very, very easily. If people have the virus in their system and are not washing their hands thoroughly it can be transferred to food, surfaces or other people,” he said.

Symptoms most commonly include vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping but can also include low-grade fever, chills, headaches and muscle aches.

Langer reiterated that the virus spreads very easily and that he’s not surprised to hear that there are outbreaks across the state. He also explained that an outbreak is considered when there is more than one case reported.

Outbreaks most commonly stem from restaurants, homes and day care centers.

“It’s one of those viruses that is not susceptible to alcohol-based sanitizers. Those do not kill the norovirus. You need to be very careful about hand washing and minimizing hand contact with ready-to-eat foods,” Langer said.

He said norovirus is likely the number one food-related virus in the county because it spreads so easily. That’s why it’s important to take precautions during gatherings this holiday season.

“With family gatherings you have a wide variety of ages and you have to protect the folks who are a little more susceptible and that would be the elderly,” Langer said.

He said that cases can vary in severity but symptoms typically last a few days. Most people will get norovirus about five times in their lifetime.

The best precaution is hand washing and staying away from people and especially handling food if you’ve had symptoms.

“You don’t want to attend family events when you have symptoms or work with food when you have symptoms because it spreads so easily,” Langer said.