• Email Us: [email protected]
  • Contact Us: +1 718 874 1545
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Medical Market Report

  • Home
  • All Reports
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Norovirus Is On The Increase In Parts Of The US – Here’s What To Know

December 31, 2024 by Deborah Bloomfield

Health departments are warning people to take precautions against norovirus after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a surge in cases in some parts of the US. Recent figures show that 91 outbreaks of the virus were reported during the week of December 5, an increase of 22 from the previous week. 

The CDC has been tracking norovirus numbers since 2012, giving us a good indicator of the virus’s usual patterns. Also known as the “winter vomiting bug”, numbers always tend to be greater at this time of year. Data from 2012 to 2020 show a maximum of 65 reported outbreaks in the week of December 5, so this year’s figures do seem to be on the higher end.

Advertisement

What is norovirus?

Norovirus is also commonly known as the “stomach flu”, although this is a misnomer as it’s not related to influenza viruses. It is, however, a very unpleasant bug in its own right, causing sudden, and sometimes severe, diarrhea and vomiting. Some people may also experience other symptoms like a fever and body aches.

The one point in its favor is that the sickness from norovirus tends to run its course fairly quickly – most people get better in one to three days with no long-term complications. However, you can remain infectious to others for two weeks or more. Just a few virus particles are all you need to become infected, with symptoms typically appearing 12-48 hours after exposure. 

There are 10 broad genetic groups of noroviruses. It’s been estimated that most people will contract the infection five times during their lifetime.

How to stop the spread of norovirus

After more than twice the usual number of outbreaks were reported to the Minnesota Department of Health by December 23 this year, the state authorities issued guidance for stopping the spread of norovirus. 

  • Handwashing with soap and water is absolutely key. Most hand sanitizers don’t kill norovirus, so you shouldn’t rely on these alone. Instead, you should thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before preparing or eating food, after using the bathroom, and after changing diapers.
  • If you have been sick with vomiting or diarrhea, do not prepare food for others until three days after your symptoms have resolved. The AP reports that 58 percent of annual foodborne infections in the US are caused by the virus. 
  • Clean any surfaces that may be contaminated with a bleach-based solution – think bathrooms, kitchen worktops, but also faucets, door handles, and other high-traffic areas that could be overlooked.

Oysters and other bivalves like mussels are a known risk for foodborne norovirus. All shellfish should be thoroughly cooked before consumption to minimize the risk. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued an advisory about certain oysters harvested in particular growing areas in British Columbia, after Taylor Shellfish Canda ULC recalled some products due to norovirus contamination. 

What to do if you catch norovirus

There are an estimated 2,500 outbreaks of norovirus in the US each year, most of which fall between November and April. Settings where lots of people are bunched in together, such as nursing homes, hospitals, and cruise ships, are often hit. According to the AP, an average of 900 deaths are attributed to the virus each year, mostly in older adults.

While the majority of people who contract norovirus will recover completely, some are more vulnerable to complications, like the elderly, young children, and those with weakened immune systems. There are no specific medications, so treatment relies on managing the symptoms until they pass.

Dehydration is the main concern – the fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea should be replaced by regularly sipping on water or other drinks (just avoid caffeine and alcohol). Rehydration powders you can get from your pharmacy may help as well.

Advertisement

If you suspect that you or someone you are caring for may be severely dehydrated, you should seek medical attention. Symptoms include fatigue and dizziness; children may be sleepy or fussier than usual and may cry with few or no tears.  

While sick with norovirus you should stay home. Kids should be kept away from school, and adults away from the workplace and from places like care homes where there are vulnerable people, for at least 48 hours once symptoms have cleared.

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.  

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Cricket-Manchester test likely to be postponed after India COVID-19 case
  2. EU to attend U.S. trade meeting put in doubt by French anger
  3. Soccer-West Ham win again, Leicester and Napoli falter
  4. Lacking Company, A Dolphin In The Baltic Is Talking To Himself

Source Link: Norovirus Is On The Increase In Parts Of The US – Here’s What To Know

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • The First Humans Were Hunted By Leopards And Weren’t The Apex Predators We Thought They Were
  • Earth’s Passage Through The Galaxy Might Be Written In Its Rocks
  • What Is An Einstein Cross – And Why Is The Latest One Such A Unique Find?
  • If We Found Life On Mars, What Would That Mean For The Fermi Paradox And The Great Filter?
  • The Longest Living Mammals Are Giants That Live Up To 200 Years In The Icy Arctic
  • Entirely New Virus Detected In Bat Urine, And It’s Only The 4th Of Its Kind Ever Isolated
  • The First Ever Full Asteroid History: From Its Doomed Discovery To Collecting Its Meteorites
  • World’s Oldest Pachycephalosaur Fossil Pushes Back These Dinosaurs’ Emergence By 15 Million Years
  • The Hole In The Ozone Layer Is Healing And On Track For Full Recovery In The 21st Century, Thanks To Science
  • First Sweet Potato Genome Reveals They’re Hybrids With A Puzzling Past And 6 Sets Of Chromosomes
  • Why Is The Top Of Canada So Sparsely Populated? Meet The “Canadian Shield”
  • Humans Are In The Middle Of “A Great Evolutionary Transition”, New Paper Claims
  • Why Do Some Toilets Have Two Flush Buttons?
  • 130-Year-Old Butter Additive Discovered In Danish Basement Contains Bacteria From The 1890s
  • Prehistoric Humans Made Necklaces From Marine Mollusk Fossils 20,000 Years Ago
  • Zond 5: In 1968 Two Soviet Steppe Tortoises Beat Humans To Orbiting Around The Moon
  • Why Cats Adapted This Defense Mechanism From Snakes
  • Mother Orca Seen Carrying Dead Calf Once Again On Washington Coast
  • A Busy Spider Season Is Brewing: Why This Fall Could See A Boom Of Arachnid Activity
  • What Alternatives Are There To The Big Bang Model?
  • Business
  • Health
  • News
  • Science
  • Technology
  • +1 718 874 1545
  • +91 78878 22626
  • [email protected]
Office Address
Prudour Pvt. Ltd. 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300 New York City, NY 10170.

Powered by Prudour Network

Copyrights © 2025 · Medical Market Report. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version