From the Guidelines
Norovirus infection typically lasts 1-3 days in healthy individuals, but can persist for 4-6 days in vulnerable populations such as young children, elderly persons, and hospitalized patients.
Symptoms and Duration
- The symptoms of norovirus infection can be severe, but usually resolve without treatment after a short period 1.
- Common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, with diarrhea being more prominent than vomiting or fever 1.
- The incubation period of norovirus infection is between 3 and 10 days 1.
- In some cases, norovirus infection can lead to more serious complications, such as dehydration, which may require medical attention and treatment with oral or intravenous fluid therapy 1.
- The virus can be shed in the stool for an average of 4 weeks following infection, with peak viral shedding occurring 2-5 days after infection 1.
- It is worth noting that up to 30% of norovirus infections are asymptomatic, and asymptomatic persons can shed virus, albeit at lower titers than symptomatic persons 1.
From the Research
Duration of Norovirus Infection
- The duration of norovirus infection can vary from a few days to several years, depending on the individual's immune status 2, 3.
- In immunocompromised patients, chronic norovirus diarrhea can last from four weeks to nine years, leading to wasting, weight loss, or failure to thrive in some cases 2.
- A study found that 76% of norovirus-positive individuals excreted norovirus RNA in the stool for more than 7 days, with a median viral shedding duration of 19.3 days for inpatients and 15.2 days for medical staff 3.
- In some cases, norovirus infection can persist for several months or even years, as seen in a patient with severe common variable immunodeficiency who had a chronic norovirus infection for over 3 years 4.
Symptoms of Norovirus Infection
- Norovirus infection typically causes acute gastroenteritis, characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps 5, 6.
- In immunocompromised individuals, norovirus infection can cause more severe and prolonged symptoms, including chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and failure to thrive 2, 6.
- Other complications of norovirus infection can include necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants and benign infantile convulsions with gastroenteritis 2.
- In some cases, norovirus infection can also lead to long-term sequelae, such as inflammatory bowel disease, although the evidence for this association is limited 2.