Researchers from North Carolina State University and Wake Forest University have made a ‘vomiting machine’ that explains as to why norovirus spreads so quickly and so far. Study researchers said that the machine may seem to be odd, but it has been giving better knowledge on how the disease affects millions of people.

Grace Tung-Thompson from North Carolina State University said the device replicates what happens when a person vomits. The machine has a small tube that mimics human throat and has been designed to push out liquids and semi-liquids in the same way when people try to puke.

Lee-Ann Jaykus, the N.C. State food science professor, said the researchers have used different types of materials like instant vanilla Jell-o pudding in order to replicate different textures of pukes. Norovirus does not likely grow in a lab dish, so the researchers used another virus called MS2 that is similar to norovirus.

It can easily grow in lab and does not make people sick. Jaykus said in the experiment, they put in the puke and put on the machine and captured the aerosol. It was found that at least million particles or even more get released a vomiting event.

The researchers said that not all particles go in the air. As per them, 13,000 virus particles can be released into the air in a single incident. The researchers said that there was an evidence of aerosolized MS2 after every vomiting incident.

The researchers said that vomiting could spread the norovirus infection through air. “When one person vomits, the aerosolized virus particles can get into another person's mouth and, if swallowed, can lead to infection”, said the researchers.