Although all the headlines and stories that involve that
little pest, norovirus, invariably involve a cruise ship disastrous trip in
which the cruise ship users spent more time in the toilet than they did on
deck, according to a US CDC report out yesterday norovirus is actually much
more of a “restaurant” bug than a cruise ship varmint.
In fact, only 1 % of norovirus outbreaks occur on cruise
ships while roughly 70 % originate from restaurant exposure, and no, not
because the last person in front of you to use the server at the smoked meats
plate was actually infected with norovirus (although they certainly could be –
how’s that for scaring you off the buffet table?) but more likely because a
food handler – in the kitchen, as a server – was carrying the bug.
Why is this such a likely place to pick up norovirus?
Well, this may scare you from eating out again but
according to this survey, not enough food handlers wash their hands as often or
as thoroughly as they should but even more scary, I think, 20 % of food
handlers admit to having come into work even though they had diarrhea and
vomiting.
And note: 20 % admit to it so the likelihood that the
number of food handlers sick with norovirus who go into work is actually much
higher than that because people who answer surveys are notorious for trying to
minimize the things they know will put them in a bad light with the survey
takers.
Bottom line: if you handle food – in a restaurant, in an
institution, even at home for your family –w ahs your hands, wash your hands,
wash your hands, and for heaven’s sake, if you suffer from diarrhea or
vomiting, do not prepare food for others.
Let your family make its own meals instead.
