Viruses depending on the climate?

[Tasha'93]

I was thinking about this the other day but it completely slipped my mind to bother to post it here. Do viruses such as colds and stomach bugs tend to only be in countries that have very big seasonal differences? Like, where I am (in the UK), the weather is forever changing so we tend to get a lot of different viruses going around, including the dreaded stomach one, and I was thinking, does this only happen more often in colder countries or is it everywhere? Anyone on here who lives in a country with a hot climate, please share what you think, whether it is fact or just from your own experience of living where you do, tell me if i'm thinking correctly or am I completely wrong? Post away!

[KaydeeJayde]

I'm from Australia, and I don't think we hear about stomach viruses, as in, they're not as publicized (on the news or anything) as much as other countries unless it's a total pandemic, which hasn't happened for a long, LONG time. Whether that means they're not as common or not, I don't know, but I don't hear about my friends getting anything as much. That could also be because I'm not as tuned into it as I'm not as afraid of myself vomiting, but I'm not sure. Hope this somewhat answered your question.

Also, I've asked his here before, but it's never been answered for me, and this seems like an appropriate topic to ask it in, since I don't feel 100% justified in starting my own thread about it. Does anyone know if what Australians call 'Gastro' is Noro, or whether we're just too lazy to name our viruses individually and 'Gastro' is just the term for any bug that affects the digestive system?

[Tasha'93]

[QUOTE=KaydeeJayde;332454]I'm from Australia, and I don't think we hear about stomach viruses, as in, they're not as publicized (on the news or anything) as much as other countries unless it's a total pandemic, which hasn't happened for a long, LONG time. Whether that means they're not as common or not, I don't know, but I don't hear about my friends getting anything as much. That could also be because I'm not as tuned into it as I'm not as afraid of myself vomiting, but I'm not sure. Hope this somewhat answered your question.QUOTE]

Ah I see, so stomach viruses are not very popular in Australia then? As in it's rare that someone gets a stomach bug? You have answered to an extent, thankyou!

[person54321]

Gastro is short for gastroenteritis, which basically means some kind of stomach thing. Could be bacterial or viral.

I know humidity affects how well viruses survive, in that viruses dislike humidity. I'd imagine warmer places have less, but I know that for instance in Texas (the humid part) they still have seasonal cold and flu season. I know that where I'm from, Colorado, we get a LOT of snow and it's very dry, but the stomach flu is extremely rare. My reasoning is that it's because everyone there is outdoors and active all year round. So my theory is that anywhere that people are outside a lot all year means less noro. That's the real reason we have a "sickness season." People are all cooped up together inside making each other sick touching all the same surfaces.

[person54321]

Gastro is short for gastroenteritis, which basically means some kind of stomach thing. Could be bacterial or viral.

I know humidity affects how well viruses survive, in that viruses dislike humidity. I'd imagine warmer places have less, but I know that for instance in Texas (the humid part) they still have seasonal cold and flu season. I know that where I'm from, Colorado, we get a LOT of snow and it's very dry, but the stomach flu is extremely rare. My reasoning is that it's because everyone there is outdoors and active all year round. So my theory is that anywhere that people are outside a lot all year means less noro. That's the real reason we have a "sickness season." People are all cooped up together inside making each other sick touching all the same surfaces.

[Tasha'93]

Ah, so basically, the hotter/humid a place is, the less stomach viruses are around? I think you make a very good point when you say the more that people are outside the less chance of spreading viruses, never really thought of it like that! Also I think stomach viruses catch on due to lack of hygeine whereas flu or minor colds are airborne, so easier to catch I guess.

[grrlga]

Well i live in the south...so we have loooong summers, we dont hear of stomach virus on the news ever, when i do its from people saying its going around..but we only worry about it in the winter....which is a long ways away ")

[hairyfairy]

I`ve read that the reason bugs are more common in the winter is because the cold affects our immune systems, & of course there`s that thing with being cooped up close together. apart from that, I worked in a holiday camp in that sweltering hot summer of 1976, & there was a sv going around the whole time. I was scared to death that I was going to catch it, but I didn`t. Someone told me that drinking a coulple of whiskies a day would keep things like svs at bay, so I had 2 whiskies a day, maybe that`s why I stayed healthy, or maybe I was just lucky, I really could`nt say.

[Tasha'93]

I`ve read that the reason bugs are more common in the winter is because the cold affects our immune systems, & of course there`s that thing with being cooped up close together. apart from that, I worked in a holiday camp in that sweltering hot summer of 1976, & there was a sv going around the whole time. I was scared to death that I was going to catch it, but I didn`t. Someone told me that drinking a coulple of whiskies a day would keep things like svs at bay, so I had 2 whiskies a day, maybe that`s why I stayed healthy, or maybe I was just lucky, I really could`nt say.

If we had whiskey in the house, believe me, i'd be doing that! I thought hot weather kills off viruses?..

[jkl81]

Well it certainly still exists here in Florida. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that norovirus could exist anywhere where there is a significant population of humans (we are the reservoir, the virus' natural host) and that places where there are not many people forced to be in close quarters they will be rare. 99.9% of our risk as emets(since we are careful and wash our hands) is from sick significant others or family members or from a sick food handler we did not know to avoid. I think a cold dry place with few people will have less norovirus (and other human viruses too) than a hot humid place with a lot of people thrown together.

[phobiame]

i assume that "gastro" in australia is v* and d* at the same time sorry tmi, we aslo get noro and the stomach flu..... theya all have v* incommon but have other add ons that are not.

[phobiame]

also in australia we get these bugs all year round, more so in the winter months as we are in doors more and come in closer contact more often. and we also dont make a big deal over it on the news which i prefur as opposed to knowing how bad it is and where it is going around