Scientists at North Carolina State University (NCSU) have created a "vomit machine" to help them understand the norovirus, which is a highly contagious bug that is transmitted between humans by contact, according to BBC News.
Contact can include infected persons, contaminated surfaces or contaminated food or drink and can lead to vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.
The machine has been researched and developed over the past two years and its current design utilizes a hand pump and pressurized stomach model to simulate the process of vomiting into a chamber, according to The Independent.
"If aerosolized particles land on a counter top, you could also touch the counter with your hand, then touch your hand to your mouth, leading to infection," said Grace Thompson, a PhD graduate who studied the spread of the norovirus.
Norovirus is the biggest cause of gastroenteritis worldwide and a study published in August found that approximately 36 norovirus particles become airborne after those with the virus throw up, which is twice the amount needed to infect another person. These findings point to vomiting as one of the prime ways that the virus can spread.
Approximately 70% of norovirus outbreaks are caused by contaminated food workers, according to BT.
The NCSU researchers hope that their "vomit machine" will help them understand the process by which the norovirus spreads and help them develop a method of preventing it.
