A new report shows that most outbreaks of the highly-contagious Norovirus are spread at local restaurants.
Medical News Today cites a new Vital Signs report for the Center of Disease Control and Prevention which states that the stomach bug can spread from infected workers touching “ready-to-foods” without gloves. Ready-to-eat foods refer to fruits, vegetables, baked goods and other products that are already cooked and require no additional preparation.
Analysis for the report was collected from 2009 to 2012 and found that there were 1,008 outbreaks from contaminated food which occurred at restaurants, banquets or catering halls.
Furthermore, the report concluded that over 90 percent of contamination occurred during food preparation.
The CDC said that one in five restaurant employees admitted to working with symptoms of the stomach virus.
Due to news reports over the past several months, many associate the nasty bug with something contracted on cruises. However, USA Today noted that the CDC estimated only 1 percent of the outbreaks can be blamed on cruise ships.
Noroviruses are the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans and can affect people of all age groups.