Risk Assessment Report: Stomach Flu Causes, Hazards, and Prevention

This report presents a risk assessment of stomach flu, based on a student's personal experience. It identifies unsafe conditions like poor hand hygiene and contaminated surfaces as contributing factors to the illness. The report explores the causes, primarily focusing on norovirus, and details the consequences, including symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. It emphasizes the importance of handwashing, surface disinfection, and food safety to prevent infection. The report also includes global statistics on norovirus outbreaks and concludes with a summary of key preventative measures, such as avoiding face-touching and proper handling of contaminated materials. The document offers a comprehensive overview of the risks associated with stomach flu and provides practical recommendations for mitigation.

Risk assessment for stomach flu
Name of student
Institution of affiliation
Date

Introduction
According to Yen, McDonald, Hirschland & Edington (2003), risk assessment
generally refers to a term, which is employed for describing the general method or
process, which entails the identification of the hazards as well as the risk factors,
which have the ability to result in the harm. It also entails a thorough analysis and a
thorough evaluation of some of the main risks, which are linked to the given hazard
(Mills, Kessler, Cooper & Sullivan, 2007; Ozminkowski, Goetzel & Wang, 2006).
This report provides my experience after suffering from stomach flu. It
documents some of the main unsafe conditions, which made me to be exposed to
stomach flu. It has also explored some of the main causes of stomach flu before
presenting some of the main measures, which can be put in place to ensure that
stomach flu is effectively dealt with.
Unsafe situations that can result in Stomach Flu
There are a number of unsafe situations, which can bring about stomach flu.
Based on my experience with stomach flu, some of the main unsafe situations, which
can result in stomach flu, include failure to wash the hands, failure to use hand
sanitizer, failure to disinfect hard surfaces, failure and to wipe various surfaces within
the houses. When it comes to the failure to disinfect the hard surfaces, it is worth
pointing out that when an individual someone suffers from stomach flu, lack of
disinfecting the hard surfaces, like the counters, faucets as well as the doorknobs can
make others to be affected as well (Patel, Hall, Vinje & Parashar, 2009).
When it comes to failure to wash the hands, I realized that I contracted
stomach flu because of my failure to ensure that my hands are always properly
washed. Various experts have also noted that one of the main causes of stomach flu is
the inability of the individuals to wash their hands. They have noted that washing of

the hands is one of the main ways through which the virus can be stopped. Various
reviews have pointed out that good hand-washing technique significantly reduces the
rate of diarrhea by about 40 per cent. Individuals should therefore ensure that they make
good use of water and soap to ensure that their hands are properly washed. Hands should
be washed properly before using the bathrooms, prior to taking meals, and after changing
the diapers for the children (Ahmed et al. 2014). I can also link failure to use hand
sanitizer to stomach flu. When one is not near the sink to ensure that their hands are
properly washed, they need to ensure that they use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. While
the hand sanitizer might not be as effective when compared to hand washing, it also plays
a role in the prevention of the stomach flu (Green et al. 2000).
Failure to wipe down surfaces is also a major cause of stomach flu. When one is
having stomach flu, the high-traffic areas ought to be washed off, like the doorknobs,
bathroom, phones, as well as the TV remotes using a diluted bleach solution. When it is
possible, individuals who are healthy ought to be kept out of the bathroom that is being
used by the sick person (Zheng et al. 2006).
The other major factor, which can result in the stomach flu include contamination
of various places. When places, which are contaminated, are not properly cleaned,
individuals who are exposed to the places can easily be infected. As a result, in order
to ensure that individuals prevent themselves from stomach flu, they need to ensure
that they clean in a proper manner all the areas, which are contaminated (Bok et al.
2009).
Inability to continuously clean surfaces, which are always touched also result
in stomach flu. Some of them include the counters, doorknobs, fridge handles,
microwaves, hand railings, tables and chairs, faucets, as well as the flush handles. It is
crucial for individuals to make use of a bleach-based cleaner (de Graaf et al. 2015).

Stomach flu can also be caused by the failure to wash the fruits as well as
vegetables. They should be washed thoroughly before they are eaten. Stomach flu also
results when people involved in preparation of food are sick and also when they are
charged with the responsibility of taking care of others. When an individual becomes
sick with stomach flu, they should not be involved in the preparation of food. They
should only be involved in the preparation of food after the disappearance of the
symptoms (Zhang et al. 2016).
Failure to properly wash contaminated laundry is also a major cause of
stomach flu. These generally include the linens as well as the clothes, which might
have been contaminated with stool or vomit. They should be removed and washed
immediately. Individuals also ought to put on rubber gloves while handling the soiled
laundry (Patel, Hall, Vinje & Parashar, 2009).
Causes of the hazards
There are various viruses, which cause stomach flu. It generally appears when
one has been in contact with another person who is already infected by the flu or after
a person has eaten food, which is contaminated or after drinking contaminated water.
It is very rare to establish that bacteria causes stomach flu.
Noroviruses, which is a group of viruses, which result in the inflammation of
the stomach as well as large intestines, have also been cited as some of the main
causes of gastroenteritis (stomach flu) as well as foodborne disease outbreaks within
the United States. Norovirus is extremely contagious and is typically spread via water
or via food, which has been contaminated by the faecal matter when they are being
prepared. At the same time, individuals are also capable of catching the illness
through having a close contact with an infected individual or when they touch
surfaces, which have been contaminated.

Source: Patel, Hall, Vinje & Parashar, 2009
Consequences of the hazard
The general occurrence of stomach flu has a number of adverse impacts.
When individuals have stomach flu, some of the symptoms generally include
diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, as well as abdominal pain. At the same time, they will be
suffering from headache, fever, body ache, as well as dehydration.
Exposure of the risks and measures to be put in place to prevent the risk of
contracting stomach flu
In order for individuals to prevent themselves from being exposed to stomach
flu, they always need to ensure that they wash their hands. Proper and frequent hand
washing is regarded as one of the main strategies, which can be used for the
prevention of norovirus, which is the leading cause of stomach flu. Individuals should
always wash their hands before and also after they have used the bathrooms, when
they are changing the diapers, prior to preparing or eating or handling any kind of
food, and whenever they are in contact with some of the common surfaces, which are
carrying germs. When one is exposed to another person who is sick, they need to
wash their hands right away. At the same time, when taking care of someone who has

norovirus, they need to wash their hands every time they are coming in contact with
the individual.
People should also shun touching their faces. When one is exposed to
Norovirus, by touching their nose, mouth, or eyes before washing their hands, they
are placing themselves at greater risk because the virus will get into the body. They
should therefore ensure that they keep their hands away from their face because this is
one of the main steps for prevention.
All the places, which are contaminated, should also be kept very clean.
Individuals should bear in mind that an individual who is infected might not
demonstrate symptoms of the virus for a number of days after they have been
exposed. Therefore, one may have it even without knowing. That generally implies
that surfaces that are always touched ought to be kept very clean. Some of them
include the counters, doorknobs, fridge handles, microwaves, hand railings, tables and
chairs, faucets, as well as the flush handles. It is crucial for individuals to make use of
a bleach-based cleaner.
Every kind of produce ought to be washed. These include the fruits, as well as
vegetables. They should be washed thoroughly before they are eaten.
Individuals should also not be involved in the preparation of food when they
are sick. They should also not take care of others. When an individual becomes sick
with stomach flu, they should not be involved in the preparation of food. They should
only be involved in the preparation of food after the disappearance of the symptoms.
All the contaminated laundry should also be washed properly. These generally
include the linens as well as the clothes, which might have been contaminated with
stool or vomit. They should be removed and washed immediately. Individuals also
ought to put on rubber gloves while handling the soiled laundry.

Norovirus statistics
Across the globe, about one in five cases of acute gastroenteritis, which result
in vomiting and diarrhea is brought about by norovirus. Norovirus result in 685
million cases of acute gastroenteritis. This makes it one of the most common causes
of acute gastroenteritis globally. It is also worth noting that approximately 200 million
cases occur among young children who are aged below 5. This result in
approximately 50,000 child deaths annually, and in particular within the developing
nations. The figures below demonstrates the outbreak of the virus which causes
stomach flu in different regions across the globe:
Outbreak of norovirus in the United States from 2009 to 2012
Source: Zhang et al. 2016

Outbreak of norovirus in China
Source: Zhang et al. 2016
Conclusion
This report has mainly provided my experience after suffering from a stomach
flu, which is mainly caused by norovirus. It has documented some of the main unsafe
conditions, which made me to be exposed to stomach flu, and which should thus be
avoided by individuals who are keen on not contracting stomach flu. The has also
explored some of the main causes of stomach flu before presenting some of the main
measures, which can be put in place to ensure that stomach flu is effectively dealt
with.

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