title: Consumer education needed on norovirus prevention and control: findings from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults.
abstract: Noroviruses (NoVs) are the leading cause of foodborne disease in the United States; however, little is known about consumers' knowledge of NoV infection and their understanding of how to prevent and control associated illness. A nationally representative Web-enabled panel survey of U.S. adults (n = 1,051) was conducted to collect information on consumers' awareness and knowledge of NoVs. Respondents who had heard of NoVs were asked 22 true-and-false questions on the transmission, prevention, and control of NoVs. Forty-seven percent of respondents reported awareness of NoVs, and 85% of respondents had heard of the terms "cruise ship virus," "the stomach bug," or "the stomach flu," which are commonly used to describe NoVs. Of those respondents who had previously heard of NoV or other terms used by consumers to describe NoV (n = 948), 36% correctly answered 11 or more of the 22 true-and-false questions, suggesting that consumers have limited knowledge on how to prevent and control NoV infection. Most consumers do not understand that the primary mode of transmission for NoV infection is fecal to oral, and many have the misperception that meat and poultry are sources of NoV infection. There is the need to educate consumers about how to prevent and control NoV infection. Although there is a proliferation of food safety education materials available, most focus on foodborne bacteria rather than viruses. The survey results will be used to revise existing consumer food safety educational materials to include information on NoV prevention and control.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. scc@rti.org.
authors.forename: Sheryl C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cates
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kosa
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Jenna E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brophy
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Aron J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D035843:Biomedical Research; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D059022:Food Safety; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000821:virology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D029322:Norovirus; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult