Shenzhen's tourism bureau warned local travelers who are
planning to travel to Japan not to eat raw seafood after a record
outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus infected more than 3
million people in that country.
A spokesman for the bureau yesterday said there is no vaccine
against the virus, and advised travelers to wash their hands
carefully before eating and after using the toilet.
"Japan has been hit by gastroenteritis caused by norovirus
infection recently. The epidemic that infected tens of thousands
people is the most serious one during the past 25 years," the
Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its Web site Monday.
"To protect themselves from infection, Chinese citizens who
visit Japan should try to avoid eating raw seafood during their
journey," the ministry said.
Norovirus is known to cause gastroenteritis that brings stomach
pain, severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Japan is one of the most popular destinations for Shenzheners
during the New Year and Spring Festival holidays.
More than 3 million people in the country are thought to have
been infected by norovirus, the highest since data was first
collected in 1989, according to Japan's national institute of
infectious diseases.
The institute is concerned that the outbreak may show “the
largest ever spread."
The virus is typically transmitted by eating raw seafood and
also from human to human by substances excreted or vomited.
A sales manager surnamed Ma with China Travel Service Shenzhen
Co. Ltd. said there had been no cancellations by members of tour
groups scheduled to visit Japan during the holiday.
"Signing up for a Japan trip for the New Year holiday was closed
last weekend, and we are now arranging package tours for the Spring
Festival in February this year," Ma said.
He admitted travelers will have the chance to eat raw oysters
and other seafood in Japan, which is famous for sashimi, but
insisted it is safe for the customers.
"Several dozens of tourists who joined our package tours to
Japan came back this week and none of them was infected,” he
said.
There are many restaurants in Shenzhen that serve sashimi. Many
restaurants serving Japanese cuisine said a very small amount of
the seafood was imported from Japan and business has not been
affected so far.
Norovirus has caused mass infections in other countries,
including the United States, where hundreds of passengers on a
cruise ship fell ill in two separate incidents in November and
early December.
(Shenzhen Daily December 27, 2006)