Charles D. Humphrey/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This digitally colored transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed by an assembly of norovirus virions, or virus particles.
CNN
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Norovirus cases are increasing in the US, in line with seasonal trends, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the week ending February 17, more than 12% Tests for norovirus – a common and highly contagious virus that causes gastrointestinal symptoms – were positive, the CDC data showed. This is up from 11.5% the previous week. Cases are particularly high in the northeast, where more than 13% the tests came back positive. The positivity rates in the area are over 13% since the end of January.
However, these levels are lower than they were at this point last season, when about 15% of tests were positive, both nationally and in the Northeast.
Norovirus outbreaks are most common in the late fall, winter and early spring, according to the CDC.
According to the CDC, norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis — often called the stomach bug — in the United States. It causes 19 to 21 million illnesses each year, most often in crowded settings such as nursing homes, day care centers and cruise ships.
It can be spread when you come into direct contact with someone who is infected, consume food or liquid contaminated with the virus, or touch contaminated surfaces and then put your fingers in your mouth. The CDC warns that an infected person can spread norovirus two or more weeks after symptoms subside.
The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. There is no specific treatment for norovirus, but experts recommend drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. In order to prevent illness, the CDC recommends washing your hands, rinsing fruits and vegetables, and thoroughly cooking shellfish.
The US Food and Drug Administration issued an opinion in January warning against the sale and consumption of certain oysters from Baja California and Mexico due to possible norovirus contamination.
In December, more than 200 suspected cases of norovirus were linked to a sushi restaurant in North Carolina.
