In recent months, the world has been faced with two extreme illnesses simultaneously. The first is the bird flu, formally known as Avian Influenza. This flu has spread with wild birds as its vessel, hence its name. The more major outbreaks are in cattle and poultry, these being the more major outbreaks. There is an ongoing cross-state outbreak among cattle and more sporadic outbreaks for poultry. These commercial animals have closer relations to humans, making them more concerning. However, there have been over 50 human cases (including one death) of this flu reported, in those who work with these animals. The virus is very uncommon in humans, so it is not a major concern, but it has recently been detected in several commercial chicken flocks, even here in Georgia. Fortunately, this illness has not yet been passed between humans and still does not present a real public health risk, only being a concern for wildlife.
The norovirus is the more concerning case of these two. Though the bird flu is a new virus, norovirus has existed for over 50 years, but its outbreak is much worse this winter due to a new strain classified as GII.17. Previous strands (like GI, GII, GIII and so on) consisted of regular stomach bug-like symptoms and made their rounds every winter, so it is a non-urgent illness for the most part. Most people can recover without even ever having to go to the doctor. The main distinction between the strands that led to this discovery is that GII.17 hits its peak in the warmer months like March and April, rather than December and January as it has previously, and it has dominated past strains by being the only one seen in recent cases. Outbreaks this year have occurred all around the world, taking place in public and crowded settings like healthcare facilities or schools, but it is most known for its frequent outbreaks on cruise ships, commonly known as the “cruise ship virus.”
Though this virus passes between people, it has the worst effects when involved in food contamination. Infected people in food-service settings can result in the transfer of the virus throughout dishes, multiplying cases of the virus. This year, many leafy greens, fresh fruits or shellfish can be traced to the source of an outbreak. In its irregular peak this year, most cases of the illness are likely going unrecognized due to the non-urgent manner of the sickness, so this wave is larger than just what has been recorded.
Though norovirus is seen as a similar virus to COVID-19, there are several differences between the two. Both viruses did have a spike in the year 2021, can be spread between people, are highly contagious and have no cure as of now. However, beyond the surface level, there are only differences between the two viruses. Norovirus is much older than COVID-19 (being discovered in 1929), has no vaccine (unlike COVID) and lasts only two to three days. Fortunately, COVID is much more deadly than norovirus, having killed 6,000,000 people total, while norovirus kills 200,000 people each year.
