Emperor infected with norovirus

Friday 05th February, 07:18 PM JST

TOKYO —

Emperor Akihito has been infected with norovirus, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.

Other imperial family members, including Empress Michiko, and the agency officials have shown no symptoms of enteritis caused by the virus, and the infection route is not known, according to the agency. The emperor suffered stomachache and had a mild fever earlier this week, but his condition is stable, it said.

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Latest 15 of 20 Total Comments Show All

Mookoo at 09:51 PM JST - 5th February

Time to teach the Imperial Household Agency staff the importance of washing their hands after using the loo.
biglittleman at 10:08 PM JST - 5th February

My girlfriend makes me wash my hands every time I come from outside. It is annoying. If the norovirus is good enough for the Emperor then it is good enough for me too.
Sarge at 10:16 PM JST - 5th February

"the infection route is not known"

This virus just picks and chooses at random which way it wants to go.
some14some at 10:22 PM JST - 5th February

the infection route is not known, according to the agency

just locate unhygenic spots inside and around Imperial Palace.
BurakuminDes at 10:27 PM JST - 5th February

I would estimate at least 80 percent of Japanese males don't wash their hands after using the bathroom. Australia - the same. Wash your hands people - and good luck to Akihito, he is sadly a sickly old man
SEPTIMUS at 10:41 PM JST - 5th February

Unfortunate, I wish the Emperor a quick and speedy recovery.
magickatdragon at 11:10 PM JST - 5th February

They wouldn't want to report this before he was stable. Let's be serious, there would be a huge outpowering of Japanese support and get wells, etc. It is so much more managable to say, he got sick, now he's ok, don't worry.
timeon at 12:19 AM JST - 6th February

shouldn't that be Norfolk Virus? it's called noro in Japanese. I've got it a few years ago, it's horrible, but in 2 days you're fine. oysters are really bad in fall/winter
Blue_Tiger at 01:02 AM JST - 6th February

I hpe his majesty gets better soon....
Branded at 02:51 AM JST - 6th February

While in Japan my wife, the in-laws, and the kid always suffered from norovirus ! Everytime we went into public places, shopping centers, play lands, the trains or busses, hell even the zoo- someone walked out with "norovirus" ! Here in the USA ? NEVER ! Not one time ! It's safe to say Japan and the Japanese need to stop touching "things" and wash more ! Lets hope this bout with the emperor energizes and educates the public into action- like better personal hygeine !
telecasterplayer at 03:30 AM JST - 6th February

According to wikipedia, Norovirus is "transmitted by faecally contaminated food or water and by person-to-person contact".

Wash.

Your.

Dang.

Hands.

Every.

Time.

Especially if you're going to shake with the Emperor!!
Tahoochi at 01:17 PM JST - 6th February

the infection route is not known, according to the agency.

Yeah, right... like they'd ever be able find the route. They'd have to check everything the Emperor has touched and ingested over the last week!

Branded at 02:51 AM JST - 6th February

It's safe to say Japan and the Japanese need to stop touching "things" and wash more !

Stop touching things? Please explain...
Tahoochi at 01:22 PM JST - 6th February

A simple search at Wikipedia explains a lot:

The norovirus was originally named the Norwalk agent after Norwalk, Ohio, USA, where an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred among children at Bronson Elementary School in November 1968. The name was shortened to norovirus after being identified in a number of outbreaks on cruise ships and receiving attention throughout the USA.

The name norovirus (Norovirus for the genus) was approved by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses in 2002.

Common names of the illness caused by noroviruses are winter vomiting disease, viral gastroenteritis, and acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis,[4] also colloquially known as "stomach flu"—a broad name that refers to gastric inflammation caused by a range of viruses and bacteria.

So if you've ever had a "Stomach flu", there's a chance you've had the norovirus. Apparently, even after you've been infected, immunity is "incomplete and temporary"... wash your hands people!
ilcub76 at 01:37 PM JST - 6th February

Been there, had it. It wasn't nice, either. Hopefully Emperor Akihito only has a mild case of it.
bushlover at 06:05 PM JST - 6th February

Had it too. With some students at a bonenkai. I got the bad kakifry. They didn't get anything. Never go for the first oyster. It was the last hastily cooked one.