Outbreaks of norovirus are especially difficult to control in healthcare facilities, causing "severe workflow disruptions, substantial economic costs and excess morbidity, according to an article on the MedPage Today website.
Contaminated food, water, or contact with contaminated surfaces or infected people have been thought to be the main routes of norovirus transmission.
But some evidence has suggested it could be transmitted through the air, according to a recent study.
Some virus-containing particles can stay airborne for hours.