Clinical Features and Differential Diagnosis of Norovirus

The main contributing factors of the Noroviral gastroenteritis are poor feeding habits for infants, in quantity and quality. Nonobservance of hygiene rules takes its toll and the symptoms of diarrhea, with frequent watery stools set in. It is often accompanied by vomiting, and since the patient is unable to keep any food down he frequently vomits up bile. A child with gastroenteritis will be lethargic, and the debility caused by dehydration will be one of the prominent presenting symptoms. The presence of weakness will not be contributing to sleep and the patient will be listless and irritable, with loss of sleep. The mucous membranes will be dry and is frequently accompanied by reduced skin turgor.

Often there is a low-grade fever present and fontanelles appear as sunken due to dehydration especially in babies in whom the fontanelles are not ossified. The eyeballs appear sunken and there are dark circles present around the eyes.

It is important to diagnose Noroviral gastroenteritis from other gastroenteritis, as the virulence of this infection is very great. It is usually differentiated from bouts of pneumonia as this disease also can present with the symptoms of loose stools and vomiting. Similarly other systemic infections like septicemia, urinary tract infections, and meningitis can also present in the same manner.

Noninfectious diseases such as poisoning with arsenic or cadmium, seafood poisoning, or mushroom poisoning are also initiated with similar symptoms so the diagnosis of the ailment is essential for proper treatment process to be initiated.

Sometimes secretory tumors and other endocrine disorders also present with the same bouquet of symptoms. They cause severe bouts of diarrhea and are extremely difficult to differentiate from ordinary gastroenteritis. Other disorders like pancreatic insufficiency, short bowel syndrome, Whipple’s disease, celiac disease, and laxative abuse are also to be excluded from the diagnosis by proper means. Laxative abuse is an extremely common practice in ladies of the younger generation so before any treatment mode is begun all such causes should be excluded.