Also called: Norwalk virus infections
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Norovirus Infections
Noroviruses are a group of related viruses. Infection with these viruses causes an illness called gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. It can spread from person to person, or through contaminated food or water. You can also get it if you touch a contaminated surface. Norovirus can be serious, especially for young children and older adults.
The most common symptoms of norovirus infection are:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach pain
Other symptoms may include fever, headache or body aches.
Treatment includes bed rest and lots of liquids to prevent dehydration. There is no specific medicine to treat norovirus infections.
Proper hand washing and safe food preparation may help prevent infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Digestive System and Infections.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Norovirus Infections
23 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Viral Infections in Healthy and Immunocompromised HostsNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Adoptive T Lymphocyte Administration for Chronic Norovirus Treatment in Immunocompromised HostsChildren's National Research Institute
- Risk Assessment of Community Spread of Multiple Endemic Infectious Diseases in a One Health PerspectiveInstitut Pasteur du Cambodge
Research already completed
- A Trial of a Norovirus G1.1 and G2.4 Vaccine Administered Orally to Healthy Participants Aged ≥ 18 Years and ≤ 80 Years OldVaxart
- A Study to Evaluate Vaxart's Oral Bivalent GI.1/GII.4 Norovirus Vaccine in Healthy Lactating Females and Their Nursing InfantsVaxart
- Phase III Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Human Norovirus Bivalent (GⅠ.1/GⅡ.4)Vaccine，Recombinant (Hansenula Polymorpha)National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China
- Norovirus Challenge StudyVaxart
- A Study to Determine the Safety and Immunogenicity of Bivalent GI.1 and GII.4 Vaccines in Healthy VolunteersVaxart
- A Phase 1, Open-label, Safety and Immunogenicity Study of an Oral Multi-dose Administration Regimen With an Adenoviral-vector Based Tablet Norovirus Vaccine (VXA-G1.1-NN) Administered to Healthy Adult VolunteersVaxart
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- NorovirusCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Norovirus InfectionMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bacteria Culture TestNational Library of Medicine
- Stool Tests (For Parents)Nemours Foundation
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Hand Washing: Do's and Dont'sMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- How to Prevent NorovirusCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics and Research
- Norovirus Facts and StatsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: GastroenteritisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: NorovirusNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Norovirus. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Norovirus Infections, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.