5 tips to avoid stomach bugs

The last thing anyone needs is a bout of the stomach flu, but how do you avoid something that contagious? With these 5 steps, you'll stand a chance at staying healthy during an outbreak.

Nasty stomach bugs can cause cramping, fever, vomiting and diarrhea that lasts anywhere from 12 hours to three days.

• The germ responsible for the misery: norovirus, the super-contagious virus that causes 90 percent of "stomach flu" incidents.
• Other viruses and bacteria can cause tummy distress, too, but these precautions can help you and your family sidestep the next outbreak.

You can easily get a stomach bug by touching a contaminated doorknob or shaking hands with someone who's sick.

• Your best defense is soap, water and 20 seconds of vigorous scrubbing and rinsing.
• In an Emory University study, hand washing removed 96 percent of viral particles compared to just 46 percent removed with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Not near a sink? An alcohol-based hand sanitizer will do in a pinch, but be sure to wash up later.

• Many stomach-bug outbreaks have been traced to food prepared by people who had active or waning tummy infections. Keep sick friends and relatives out of the kitchen.
• If you're not successful, wipe down counters and other kitchen surfaces with Lysol- or Clorox-type wipes or a solution of five millilitres (one tablespoon) bleach in one litre (one quart) warm water.

If an ill friend or relative brings homemade food to a function, avoid it. Half of the attendees at one West Virginia family reunion came down with vomiting, cramps and diarrhea after eating goodies prepared by two sick relatives, researchers report.

After a bout of vomiting and/or diarrhea, fast cleanup can help prevent the spread of germs.

1. Wipe down exposed surfaces with a mixture of bleach and water.
2. Wear rubber gloves and use paper towels — and dispose of them outside the house.
3. Wash the gloves before you take them off.
4. Be sure the sick person also washes up and changes clothes right away, then wash the clothes separately from those of other household members on your washer's hottest setting.
5. Use a little bleach if possible, following laundering directions.

• Viruses and bacteria that trigger vomiting and diarrhea can live on virtually any food.
• Prevent trouble by washing, storing and cooking foods safely.

Cook those oysters! The largest stomach-bug outbreak in the history of New Zealand sickened 350 people who ate raw oysters during a party at a rugby match. While any food can carry viruses and bacteria that cause tummy troubles, bivalve shellfish can pose a special threat if they're uncooked.

• Substances in the oyster's gastrointestinal tract allow the norovirus to bind and accumulate, a recent USDA study showed, meaning you could get a big dose if you chomp on a contaminated one. If you love oysters, eat them steamed, boiled, baked or fried; thorough cooking destroys the virus.