For Food Workers

Norovirus and Working With Food

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can make you very
sick with diarrhea, throwing up, and stomach pain.

Anyone who works with food should know about this virus.

Foods Contaminated with Norovirus Can Make People Sick

Norovirus is the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from
contaminated food in the United States.

The virus can easily contaminate food because it is very tiny
and infective. It only takes a very small amount of virus particles
(as few as 18) to make someone sick.

Food can get contaminated with norovirus when:

• infected people who have stool or vomit on their hands touch
  the food,
• it is placed on counters or surfaces that have infectious stool
  or vomit on them, or
• tiny drops of vomit from an infected person spray through the
  air and land on the food.

Foods can also be contaminated at their source. For example:

• oysters that are harvested from contaminated water, or
• fruit and vegetables that are contaminated in the field.

Food Workers with Norovirus Illness Can Spread the Virus to
Others

People who have norovirus illness can shed billions of norovirus
particles.

You are most contagious:

• when you are sick with norovirus illness, and
• during the first few days after you recover.

If you work with food when you have norovirus illness, you can
spread the virus to others. You can easily contaminate food and
drinks that you touch with bare hands. People who consume the food
or drinks can get norovirus and become sick. This can cause an
outbreak.

Outbreaks of norovirus illness occur in nursing homes,
hospitals, restaurants, cruise ships, schools, banquet halls,
summer camps, and even at family dinners. These are all places
where people often eat food handled or prepared by others.

Norovirus is the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from
contaminated food in the United States, Most of these outbreaks
occur in the food service settings like restaurants. Infected food
workers are frequently the source of the outbreaks, often by
touching ready-to-eat foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables,
with their bare hands before serving them. However, any food served
raw or handled after being cooked can get contaminated with
norovirus.

Norovirus outbreaks can also occur from foods, such as oysters,
fruits, and vegetables, that are contaminated at their source.

Ways that Food Workers Can Help Prevent Norovirus from
Spreading

Food workers can follow some simple tips to prevent norovirus
from spreading:

• Avoid preparing food for others while you are sick and for at
  least 48 hours after symptoms stop
• Wash your hands carefully and often with soap and water
• Rinse fruits and vegetables and cook shellfish thoroughly
• Clean and sanitize kitchen utensils, counters, and surfaces
  routinely
• Wash table linens, napkins, and other laundry thoroughly

For more information, see Preventing Norovirus
Infection.

Learn more about norovirus

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Transmission
• Prevention
• Treatment

Resources

• CDC Vital
  Signs — Preventing Norovirus Outbreaks, Food Service has a Key
  Role

• Help
  Prevent the Spread of Norovirus (“Stomach Bug”), poster in
  English and Spanish from Somerset (NJ) County, Department of
  Health, NEHA, Water Quality & Health Council, and American
  Chemistry Council

• Clean-up and
  Disinfection for Norovirus (“Stomach Bug”), poster in English
  and Spanish from Somerset (NJ) County, Department of Health, NEHA,
  Water Quality & Health Council, and American Chemistry
  Council
• Norovirus Illness:
  Key Facts [2 pages]
• Norovirus:
  Facts for Food Workers [2 pages]
• 
  FDA Food Code
• 
  FDA Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook