Imagine a quiet town on Lake Garda: breathtaking landscapes, natural beauty and thriving tourism. But, suddenly, the typical quiet of such a paradisiacal area was shattered by worrying news: hundreds of people have been affected by gastroenteritis, in what appears to be a true norovirus “micro-pandemic”. The infection hit the community, forcing the mayor to ban the use of water from the water supply for drinking or food purposes. But which municipality is it? Let’s go and find out together what happened.
Norovirus hits municipality in Verona province: what happened
Let’s proceed in order and start from the beginning. norovirus It is a virus that causes gastroenteritis, inflaming the stomach lining and causing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. This virus, responsible for approximately 50% of cases of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in the world, is highly contagious. Just ten viral particles are enough to start an infection, making it extremely infectious.
Furthermore, its ability to persist in the environment for weeks makes it difficult to control and requires the implementation of rigorous sanitary measures. And that is what is happening to Torri del Benaco, on Lake Garda, in the province of Veronawhere hundreds of people have been affected.
What caused the “micro-pandemic” in Torri del Benaco?
In this case, It is suspected that the groundwater was contaminated by feces from a person infected with norovirus.
This contamination led to Mayor’s decision to ban the use of water for drinking purposes feed hera necessary preventive measure to avoid further spread of the virus. If this hypothesis is confirmed and the pollution of the aquifer is confirmed, it will be necessary completely reclaim the aqueduct to ensure water safety.
In Torri Del Benaco, therefore, in addition to the ban on using mains water, awareness campaigns on the importance of hand hygiene and surface disinfection have been intensified. The community has been invited to use bottled water for drinking and cookingwhile we proceed with investigations to confirm the origin of the contamination and plan the necessary subsequent operations.
How can norovirus be transmitted?
Il norovirus it can be transmitted in various ways: directly from person to person, via fecal-oral or via aerosol, or via infected water or food. The virus may also be present in raw or undercooked foods, especially seafood, and in contaminated water. Contact with contaminated surfaces can also lead to infection.
Among other things, there is no specific treatment for norovirus. Treatment focuses on symptom management, especially rehydration to prevent dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea. Most people recover in 1-2 days without complications, but its high infectivity can cause micro-epidemics that are difficult to control.
Tips for prevent infection they are the usual ones, to which we have sadly become accustomed for some years now: wash your hands frequently (especially after going to the bathroom and before eating), disinfect surfaces, cook food thoroughly, drink only safe water, avoid contact with infected people.
