Norovirus is on the rampage again, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 91 outbreaks nationwide according to the most recently available data.
Cases from the week of Dec. 5 were up from the maximum of 65 outbreaks reported for the first week of December in past years. There were 69 outbreaks in the last week of November, the CDC said.
New York has been no exception. Local health care facilities have advised residents to be on the lookout for patients presenting with norovirus symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain, body ache, headache and fever.
“The State Health Department is aware of several gastrointestinal illness investigations occurring, some of which have been confirmed to be due to Norovirus across New York State,” New York State Department of Health spokesperson Danielle De Souza told the Daily News in a statement. “The Department is assisting partners in the investigation of these outbreaks.”
She noted that the state does not keep statistics on cases, since so many go unreported.
Norovirus is commonly known as stomach flu, though it is not a flu virus. Either way, its hallmark is a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea. Outbreaks often occur in close quarters such as on cruise ships and in places like nursing homes, jails and schools.
Direct contact can transmit it, but so can contaminated food, water or surfaces. Symptoms tend to set in 12 to 48 hours later.
Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. with 2,500 outbreaks annually, according to the CDC. The peak season tends to fall between November and April.
Most people are asymptomatic within a few days. However, even after that, contagion can persist for days, health experts say.
Diligent handwashing is the most-recommended protective measure, as is steering clear of raw oysters and other shellfish.