Norovirus causes up to 21 million illnesses in the U.S. every year. Heres what to know about the contagious disease that hand sanitizer cant kill -…

Its that time of year again, when the misery of norovirus strikes much of the U.S. Each year the pathogen causes an average of 900 deaths, 109,000 hospitalizations, 465,000 emergency room visits, and 19 to 21 million illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency reports national norovirus trends as three-week moving averages of positive test rates. So far in the 202324 season, infections peaked the week of Dec. 30, 2023, at 13% positivity. Rates have since oscillated, with 12.3% positivity the week of Feb. 17, 2024.

Heres what you need to know to avoid the common wintertime menace known for sickening whole familiesand schools, conferences, and cruise shipsat once.

Norovirus, commonly called the stomach flu, though its unrelated to influenza, spreads with remarkable ease, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, tells Fortune. Its nicknames include winter vomiting disease and the cruise ship virus, as it easily spreads among those in close quarters, he adds.

The illness usually moves from person to person via fecal-oral transmission. You can catch it by consuming contaminated food or water, and its the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., according to the CDC. You can also get it by touching a contaminated surface like a doorknob or light switch and then touching your mouth.

It takes a very small amount of virus to get sickso miniscule a microscope cant always detect it, Dr. Ali Alhassani, head of clinical at subscription-based pediatrics service Summer Health and a pediatrician at Boston Childrens Hospital, tells Fortune.

Because the virus is primarily passed through particles of feces invisible to the naked eye, its easy to unknowingly spread and contract the diseaseif, for example, you dont wash your hands well after using the restroom or changing a babys diaper. It doesnt take a lot to get people pretty sick, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, tells Fortune. Thats the main reason its so infectious.

Whats more, if youre near someone who is projectile vomiting, you can actually be infected via aerosols, Schaffner adds.

Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

In general, norovirus is very violent and inconvenient, Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, tells Fortune.

According to the CDC, common symptoms include:

Symptoms usually occur within 1248 hours of exposure, and last for one to three days. Because norovirus can cause repeated vomiting and diarrhea, the biggest risk is getting very dehydrated, Benjamin advisesespecially among the young, the elderly, and those with other medical conditions.

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for the illness. Antibiotic drugs, which fight bacteria, cant treat norovirus.

You should be sure, however, to keep hydrated, to replace fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhea. If youre caring for a child with norovirus, watch for signs of dehydration, including crying few or no tears and being unusually sleepy or fussy. If you think youre severely dehydrated or that someone youre caring for is, call your health care provider, the CDC advises.

While sports drinks and other caffeine-free and nonalcoholic drinks may help treat mild dehydration, the CDC stresses that those fluids might not replace nutrients and minerals. The agency recommends over-the-counter rehydration fluids, such as Pedialyte.

Norovirus is a common winter virus, though its also known to circulate via gatherings at other times of the year, like at spring or summer weddings or cruises. The virus typically makes waves from November through March, Alhassani tells Fortune.

Well all be experiencing infectious diseases more frequently, now that pandemic restrictions have been universally lifted, experts cautionat least for the near future. Remember, were basically going from almost no cases of anything [during COVID lockdowns] to a bunch of cases of something, be it RSV, flu, or norovirus, Benjamin advises.

Were out and about sharing germs with each other again.

February is a typical time for norovirus to gain ground, Schaffner adds, and its really taking advantage of our having gotten together for the first time in several years.

Nuttawan JayawanGetty Images

The best advice, experts tell Fortune:

Dr. Alice Pong, clinical medical director of infectious diseases at Rady Childrens HospitalSan Diego, advises adults to be extra diligent about washing their hands before they eatand to have their kids do the same. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers dont work well on some viruses, including norovirus. So ditch the hand sanitizer in favor of actually washing your hands, she advises.

And dont forget the laundry: Soiled clothes and linens should be washed with detergent and hot water for the maximum available cycle, the CDC says. Machine-dry them at the hottest setting.

Alhassani recommends choosing household cleaners that promise to kill 99.9% of viruses. Such labeling informs consumers that products kill norovirus, a notoriously difficult task, he advises.

If youre sick, be sure to stay home and avoid serving and preparing food for others, Ostrosky cautions, emphasizing the importance of paid sick leaveparticularly for food workers, in the case of a pathogen like norovirus.

There is not yet an approved vaccine for norovirus, though scientists are working on it, according to Schaffner. Thankfully, for most, this is an illness that makes you miserable for two to three days, but then you recover, he says.

For more on gut health:

Additional reporting by Lindsey Leake.

See the original post here:

Norovirus causes up to 21 million illnesses in the U.S. every year. Heres what to know about the contagious disease that hand sanitizer cant kill -...