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Release Date:

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Learn about Norovirus and how not to catch it, April 9

Event Date:

Tue, 04/09/2019 - 11:15am to 12:15pm

Location:

Room G-007 in the Health Sciences Education Center (Bldg. G)

Dr. Holly Turula, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor, will give a lecture about the norovirus (NoV) called “Gut Antibodies Promote Norovirus Infection” at HFC in Rm. G-007, in the basement of the Health Sciences Education Center (Bldg. G), Tuesday, April 9, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

What is the norovirus? Warning: its effects are gross.

It's no secret that humans are highly infectious beings when we're not careful. NoV infection is the leading cause of epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide, resulting in about 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths annually. It is often characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever and headaches can also occur, as well as dehydration. It can lead to chronic infection in immuno-compromised people.

NoV is usually spread via from feces to the mouth. Pathogens in fecal particles travel from one person to the mouth of another. The main causes are lack of sanitation and poor hygiene, which is why it is notorious for appearing in crowded public places like some cruise ships. No vaccine exists for NoV, nor is there a specific treatment. The good news: It is preventable. Methods of prevention include proper hand washing and disinfecting contaminated surfaces.

Dr. Turula’s specialty

Turula specializes in the spread of NoV, which was the subject of her doctoral dissertation at U-M. She’s also written about it in several publications, including Trends in Molecular Medicine.

Turula earned her PhD in immunology from U-M last year. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Portland State University (PSU) in Portland, OR. Honors and awards include the Excellence in Teaching Award from U-M, the Willie Hobbs Moore Achievement Award, the AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science, and the Rackham Merit Fellowship Award from U-M’s Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies.

This lecture is free and open to the public. Students and faculty who are interested in careers in medical research, the immune system, and viruses are encouraged to attend.

For questions or more information, contact Dr. Jolie Stepaniak at jastepaniak@hfcc.edu.