noro immunity

[hairyfairy]

Iv`e read on some websites that if someone comes into contact with noro, they`re certain to catch it. I saw a documentary on BBC1 not long ago about a couple who went on a cruise, & the noro was doing the rounds. They took every precaution, hand washing, etc, but they still caught it. I`m wondering if it`s possible to be immune to this evil bug, because people are exposed to all sorts of virulent germs, but they don`t all get sick.

[asianeko]

I'd say if you ingest noro you may be certain to catch it. However, noro went around my church growing up. My mother didn't get it, however everybody else in the family did. She even cleaned up a mess, held my sister's hair, and slept in bed beside my dad. She avoided it still

[mumofboys]

Yes some people won't get it, not everyone catches every bug or illness that goes round. My dad hasn't vomited in 40 years, he isn't emetophobic, he just never catches sickness bugs! I never had a sickness bug growing up either, my mum said I was really sick once when I was 2yrs old but she doesn't recall any other times but she can remember them with my brothers. No-one in my family ever had noro growing up, it never went through our school yet nowdays every school seems to end up with it going round! I am 28 now so it wasn't that long ago since I was in school. My fiancee never vomits either, he told me that his workplace had noro go round the month before he met me, every single person got it except him, he had diarrhoea for a few hours and that was it! He does seem to have a cast iron stomach, he has eaten out of date food and not had a problem, I wouldn't touch out of date food with a bargepole though lol!

[paulinek]

if you;ve had noro then you get immunity from that particular strain for up to about 3 months afterwards, so if you were exposed to the same strain within that time, even if you ingested it, you wouldn't show symptoms.

There is also a theory that some blood groups are more or less predisposed to developing symptoms if exposed to it, but I don't know the full facts about that.

The couple on the cruise who say they took every precaution but still got it were unlucky, but they must have accidently ingested it somehow, the things is you can wash your hands but if you then touch the tap, the door handle, the back of a chair before you sit down, a bottle of salad dressing or a whole host of other communally touched articles then you can get it on your hands again! You would literally have to wash your hands and not touch a thing before eating ot putting your hands in your mouth to guarantee they are still clean. But tbh they most likely got it from food contaminated by a sick chef - i think thats how it goes round so fast on cruises, it only takes one person with noro hands to make a salad for 200 people and bam - outbreak!

[hairyfairy]

I`ve read about the blood group thing , & they say that group O is most susceptible. Believe it or not, I`m not sure what group I am, but I`ll try & remember to ask my gp next time I see him/her. I only hope that I`m not an O!

[mumofboys]

That is true, apparently groups B and AB have partial immunity to norovirus, but O is the most susceptible. I am group A and I have no idea if that is a good or bad thing as A isn't mentioned. My sons are AB, A and A and my other half is O (he never ever catches sick bugs)

[gumdropper1]

I think I'm type O, and you can see in the image below how long since I've done the tummy toss.

[paulinek]

I only found out my blood group a couple of weeks ago as part of my ante-natal blood tests and the first thing I did when I got home was Google about noro and blood groups lol. Mines A+ and it doesn't appear to be high risk or low risk - more middle of the road, still, i've 'only' had noro once in 37 years and touch wood i won't get it again for at least another 37!

I think hadn and food hygiene has more of a part to play in preventing catching it than your blood tbh

[angela reece]

What did it say about a-

[lisalulu]

There are more blood types than just A, B, O and AB. A and B are AA, AO, BB, and BO. O really means OO and AB is AB. So you would really only have full immunity if you were BB and partial immunity if you were BO and AB, but there is no way of knowing if you're BB or BO. Also blood type B is way more likely to get e coli poisoning while O is less. So really you're going to get sick sometimes either way, no need to fret over your blood type!

[emmalinda]

omg i am O-!!!! arrrgghhh. i had no idea about that bood type thing. next time it goes around better be extremley careful :s And pauline took the words out of my mouth. in order to not get it you would have to wash your hands, constently!! and basically dont eat the food on the ship or use any restrooms. (which is pretty impossible)

[Jill in Apartment 413]

Isn't it true that with any given disease, at least 5% of the population is immune to it? I read that in a Stephen King book and I don't know if he does his research but it seems probable. (The book was The Stand)

[hairyfairy]

I`ve read that book, as I`m a big fanof SK, I seriously think that if we don`t get some control over noro, it could mutate, & become even worse, then we could have a situation like "THE STAND" on our hands.

[orton99]

Isn't it true that with any given disease, at least 5% of the population is immune to it? I read that in a Stephen King book and I don't know if he does his research but it seems probable. (The book was The Stand)

I don't know about the medical science but I do know that some people are naturally immune to things as diverse as HIV and, back in history, the Black Death! Whether it's as high as 5% in those cases though I'm not sure.

Some forms of cancer can also spontaneously go into remission as well, although again I've no idea what the odds are. I saw that on a programme on Lourdes once, which pointed out that this means that some of the visitors will show an apparently miraculous cure for their cancer, but it's more to do with the law of averages than anything supernatural. In fact, it went on to say that the statistics for cancer cures at Lourdes are actually lower than the law of averages would suggest, which probably says little about the alleged powers of the place and more about how people who are that ill to start with shouldn't be undertaking long journeys...

[rebelle]

I have read about immunity to norovirus, that up to 20% of the population have a mutation in a gene which makes them less susceptible to catch most strains of norovirus. And that it isn't related to blood type.

there is some info here.
https://www.23andme.com/health/Norovirus-Resistance/

[emmalinda]

so..how do you know if your a 'non secretor?'

[m0ndaymay]

omg i am O-!!!! arrrgghhh.

Relax I'm Type O too and never had noro, or ecoli, or any of those things.

A little information is a dangerous thing for us emetophobes. This gives us another thing to worry about needlessly. Like Lisa said, as long as we're alive we're going to get sick for some reason some of the time. Even if this blood-type link is accurate, and you happen to fall into the unlucky category, what are you going to do? Change your blood type?

Accept the things you cannot change. Life will be so much easier.

[emmalinda]

i still question that info anyway. but yes, too much info does my head in when im not feeling well. i will try to erase this from my memory. lol

[rebelle]

so..how do you know if your a 'non secretor?'

There are tests you can do...I think that the site I linked to offers them, and there are probably others out there. I know that in my country there are at least two options, and one of them is sold in the pharmacy...I have not taken the test yet though, I don't know if it will make me feel worse or better to know the result because I read that this mutation might make you less susceptible to norovirus but more susceptible to influenza. I'm terrified of all kinds of illnesses...and the thought of being more susceptible to influenza scares me, especially considering new types of influenza that might come later on, causing a deadly pandemic.

[BenBHartnett]

Noro immunity is weak. I read in my micro-biology text book that people are immune for only a few years.

[Gracielou]

I think if you have a strong immune system, then the virus may not cause you to become ill or as ill as others, therefore those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to the bug, or any bug for that matter.