Norovirus is a highly contagious infectious disease, which is transmitted from person-to-person via fecal-oral, or ‘vomitus-oral’ routes, or indirectly via contaminated food or environment. Airborne transmission of norovirus was implicated in an epidemiological study during an outbreak in a hotel restaurant [1], but only until recently was detection of norovirus RNA demonstrated in air samples collected in patient’s room and at the nurse’s station during hospital outbreaks [2], presumably due to projectile vomiting of patients, flushing of toilet, or during floor cleaning as described previously.

Detection of norovirus in air samples in patient without vomiting: implication of saliva testing for norovirus in immunocompromised host

Journal of Hospital Infections

25 July 2019

Cheng VCC¹, Wong MNurs SC², Chiu KHY³, Yip CCY³, Wong SCY³, Yuen KY⁴.

DOI:10.1016/j.jhin.2019.07.011

https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(19)30305-6/fulltext