ing or linens that may be contami-nated with the virus after an episode of illness occurs ■ Thoroughly clean and disinfect sur-faces that have been contaminated by vomiting and diarrheal events. All insti-tutional establishments should have procedures to follow when respond-ing to these events. The procedures should address actions to be taken that minimize the spread of contami-nation and the exposure of employ-ees, consumers and food to these potentially hazardous bodily fluids. Emergency Plans And Procedures Due to the high concentrations of norovirus found in the vomit and feces of infect-ed individuals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now mandating that vomiting and diarrheal events be consid-ered emergencies in restaurants and food service establishments and that these fluids be treated as though they contain norovirus. I advise customers that all facility types should treat vomit and diarrheal events as emergencies for this same reason. One of the key approaches to interrupting norovirus transmission from contaminated surfaces in the environment is through the use of chemical disinfectants. An EPA-registered disinfectant that is effective against norovirus is recommended by the CDC to disinfect highly touched sur-faces where norovirus may be present. Some sanitation suppliers offer bodily fluid cleanup kits that contain procedures, tools, disinfectants, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other items that meet requirements in the FDA’s most recent ver-sion of the model Food Code. It is recommended that these cleanup kits be mounted or stored in a convenient loca-tion along with standard usage procedures. Cleaning professionals operating in establishments of any type should use an EPA-registered disinfectant that is effective against norovirus. There are multipurpose products cur-rently available that will both clean a surface and disinfect against norovirus. Using an effective multipurpose product streamlines and simplifies the cleaning and disinfecting procedures, often resulting in better results and less re-work. Establishments should also have emer-gency plans and procedures in place to effectively and efficiently respond to a noro-virus outbreak. The following are basic guidelines that should be followed: ■ Cooperate with a regulatory authority to investigate and develop a recovery plan ■ Execute the recovery plan ■ Clean and disinfect affected areas of the establishment using an EPA-registered disinfectant that is effective against norovirus specifically ■ Conduct employee training where nec-essary, such as proper handwashing and cleaning and disinfecting tech-niques ■ Isolate potentially sick employees ■ Cooperate with a regulatory authority to investigate the cause of an outbreak ■ Establish new cleaning and disinfect-ing procedures and policies or revise existing ones to ensure the prevention of norovirus transmission in the future. Cleaning professionals should always work with their cleaning and sanitation product supplier to ensure they have the necessary tools, products and procedures in place to mitigate the transmission of noro-virus, as well as respond and recover in the event of an emergency. Ultimately, following the proper prevention procedures and using the most effective products is the industry’s best defense to protect professionals and the people they serve, as there currently isn’t any medica-tion for or vaccine to prevent norovirus infections. CM Jeff Anderson, Ph.D. is a public health and sanita-tion consultant at Procter & Gamble Professional, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble (P&G). In this role, Anderson helps customers mitigate public health risk factors within their oper-ations using science-based strategies, and provides food safety education and certification to foodser-vice managers throughout the U.S. Anderson has authored and co-authored 15 technical papers in scientific publications related to topics in infection control, microbiology and chemistry. Product Information no. 210 on page 24 www.cmmonline.com 41
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