Norovirus is spreading throughout the U.S., causing vomiting, diarrhea in unlucky patients
Norovirus, the unpleasant stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhea, is on the rise throughout the United States, and there’s no indication that Texas has avoided the surge.
The share of people testing positive for norovirus has more than doubled in the last three months, from 7.6% to almost 17% last week, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There’s no exact data of the number of cases in Texas, because the virus is not a reportable condition in the state, according to the state health department. But the data that is available indicates that the spread of the virus remains high in the U.S.
In North Texas, Dr. Glenn Hardesty has seen an increase in nororvirus cases in the emergency rooms at Texas Health Plano and Prosper over the last six weeks, he said, although there are signs that the virus could be leveling out in the South.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
Norovirus causes inflammation of the intestines or the stomach, which can result in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain, according to the CDC. The virus is one of the most common causes of these unpleasant symptoms, said Hardesty, an emergency physician. The illness can cause people infected to vomit and have diarrhea multiple times in a day, which in turn can lead to dehydration.
Most people who get norovirus won’t need hospital care, said Dr. Carol Nwelue, medical director of hospital medicine at Baylor All Saints Fort Worth. Those who do need hospital care are usually severely dehydrated.
For most people, the virus isn’t deadly, and can be managed at home. Symptoms typically last between one and three days.
“Generally, people will feel bad for a couple of days, and then they’ll get over it,” Hardesty said.
As with most illnesses, those who are at most risk are those who are under 5 years old and adults 85 years and older. In a normal season, norovirus has caused about 900 deaths and between 19 to 21 million total infections, according to the federal government. There is no up-to-date data on how many people have died or become infected so far in this season.
People who do get sick with norovirus should make sure to hydrate regularly, Nwelue said, and they might consider drinking fluids with electrolytes in them.
“If you’re not able to keep anything down, and you’re having lots of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, those are the times when you need to come in and you may need to get some fluids,” she said.
How can we stop the spread?
The virus is very infectious: One infected person can infect between two and seven additional people, according to a modeling review from 2018. People who are sick should stay home while they are experiencing symptoms.
The virus spreads from the “fecal to oral” route, meaning that it moves from an infected person’s feces and is spread to another person.
There is no vaccine that can prevent cases of norovirus. The best course of action is to wash your hands really, really well, experts said. You should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, and make sure to get the backs of your hands, in between your fingers, and under your fingernails, Nwelue said. Hand sanitizer is not as effective against norovirus as hand washing, according to Caitlin Rivers, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Other than good hand hygiene, most members of the general public don’t need to change their behavior unless they’re around someone who has been sick. If someone in your household gets sick, you’ll likely need to clean any surfaces they’ve touched with bleach, and make sure to wash any linens they’ve used.
Outbreaks are common in places like cruise ships, schools, nursing homes, and day cares. An elementary school in California had to close this month after a norovirus outbreak infected more than 120 students, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Since August, at least 516 outbreaks have been reported to the CDC, although there are likely many more that have gone unreported as only 14 states report outbreaks directly to the CDC.
In addition to the ongoing norovirus activity, Nwelue said, the CDC has warned of a different kind of infection that also causes stomach issues: Shigella. Last year, there was a significant increase in extensively drug-resistant shigella infections, which are worrisome because these bacterial infections don’t respond to antibiotics.
This story was originally published March 23, 2023 at 11:54 AM.
