Norovirus Disease in Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care Facilities: Strategies for Management

Abstract

Purpose of Review Noroviruses are the most common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in long-term care facility (LTCFs). This review summarizes the most up-to-date knowledge on norovirus infection in LTCFs with the aim of identifying potential strategies for management.

Recent Findings LTCF residents are at greater risk of norovirus infection. Early identification of norovirus infection and prompt initiation of appropriate supportive therapy are required to reduce morbidity and mortality. Measures to pre- vent outbreaks and reduce the risk of norovirus infection in LTCFs include timely diagnosis and implementation of infec- tion control interventions to limit virus transmission.

Summary Current guidelines for prevention and control are based on generic principles of infection control. Real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays have been the gold standard for the rapid and sensitive detection of noroviruses. With the recent breakthroughs of human norovirus in vitro culture, doors are now opened to evaluate the efficacy of environmental disinfectants and hand hygiene options. Additionally, development of licensed vaccines against noroviruses may provide another important tool for infection prevention among high-risk individuals. Show more