Norovirus Cases Are Surging, CDC Says: What To Know In RI

RHODE ISLAND — Norovirus is quickly spreading, exceeding past seasonal averages for outbreaks of the wretched stomach bug that sickens millions annually.

Norovirus outbreaks spiked to 91 for the week ended Dec. 5, up from 69 in the last week in November, according to the latest available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. In the past few years, a maximum of 65 outbreaks have been reported during the first week in December, the agency said.

The CDC says the 91 reported outbreaks are likely an undercount. State, local, and territorial health departments aren’t required to report individual norovirus cases to the agency. Also, symptoms — violent diarrhea and vomiting — last for one to three days, and most people don’t seek medical treatment, the agency says.

Illnesses are going up across the nation.

Minnesota had 40 norovirus outbreaks in the weeks leading up to Christmas, state public health officials said in a Dec. 23 news release. In California, at least 80 people were sickened earlier this month at an event in Los Angeles celebrating the city’s top restaurants, the county’s Department of Public Health confirmed to ABC News. And last week, the Food and Drug Administration advised California restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell and consumers not to eat certain oysters contaminated with norovirus.

Norovirus causes 58 percent of foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the CDC. Annually, between 19 million and 21 million norovirus illnesses are reported to the CDC, including 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths.

Outbreaks are common in restaurants and catered events, schools and daycare centers, health care facilities, cruise ships, jails, and any other place where people are close together.

Norovirus is highly contagious and is spread through direct contact with someone sick, sharing food or utensils with them, touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching their face or mouth, or consuming contaminated foods or liquids.

Symptoms usually appear within 12 or 48 hours of becoming infected. The most common are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, but other symptoms may include fever, headache, and body aches.

There is no antiviral medication for norovirus. The most important thing is to make sure people who have it get plenty of liquids. People who have norovirus may vomit or have diarrhea several times a day and are at risk of dehydration, especially young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses.

Symptoms of dehydration include:

• Decreased urination
• Dry mouth and throat
• Feeling dizzy when standing up
• Crying with few or no tears
• Unusual sleepiness or fussiness

The best way to prevent norovirus is to wash hands in hot, soapy water for 20 seconds after using the toilet, changing diapers and before eating, preparing or handling food. Hand sanitizer isn’t particularly effective at controlling the spread of the virus.

Also, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables and cook shellfish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent norovirus contamination.