RALEIGH, NC — The highly contagious stomach norovirus has been spreading in the northeastern US for months.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the latest figures reported last week showed an average of 13.4% of tests were positive for norovirus.
WakeMed Infection Prevention Specialist Jessica Dixon said it's not unusual for the Northeast to see a seasonal outbreak of the virus before southern areas.
“I think the northeast tends to be the leader if you look at the data, so we're likely to continue to see an increase in those cases over the next few weeks, which is not unusual,” Dixon said.
Dixon says norovirus usually peaks around this time of year, but adds that WakeMed hasn't seen anything out of the ordinary that would cause increased concern.
The WakeMed system saw 18 positive norovirus cases last week compared to nine the week before.
UNC Health also reported a slight increase in cases over the winter. All hospitals in Chapel Hill had just 3 cases in November, 16 cases in December and 17 in January 2024.
A spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told WRAL News, “We are not seeing norovirus cases reported above normal levels for North Carolina compared to previous years.”
In a statement, the CDC also tells WRAL News as a whole, “the data from the southern region of the United States also looks like what we would expect for this time of year.”
Norovirus tends to clear up in most people within a few days.
Dixon says symptoms are like other stomach bugs and include cramping, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
Eating bland foods and increasing fluid intake through water and electrolyte drinks is recommended.
“You can also have these kinds of secondary signs and symptoms related to dehydration if you're not able to stay hydrated while you're sick. You might feel weak, you might feel dizzy and light-headed and anxious,” Dixon said.
Norovirus is not killed by all disinfectants, which makes prevention difficult.
Dixon recommends reading labels carefully and buying bleach-based cleaners.
Frequent hand washing, especially before meals, is also important to reduce the spread.
“It's transmitted through the fecal-oral route,” Dixon explained. “When someone has norovirus and vomits or has diarrhea, they contaminate their hands and contaminate their environment. If you come up behind them and touch something they've touched or touch the space they've been in, you'll have these virus particles on your hands.”
The health professional says those most at risk for hospitalization are young children, older adults and those who are immunocompromised.
“You should stay away from people until about 48 hours after your symptoms have gone ideally, especially if you're involved in any kind of food preparation,” Dixon said.
