Norovirus outbreak 2024: How to avoid stomach bug spreading across northeast, NY
The 2024 norovirus outbreak hitting the Northeast, including nearly 70 cases now being investigated in an upstate New York college town, has health officials scrambling to contain the stomach bug's spread.
The norovirus outbreak linked to Colgate University in Hamilton sickened at least 15 students and 54 other people living or working in Madison County, with a fundraising event at Colgate Inn suspected as one source of the illnesses, health officials said Tuesday.
Colgate's outbreak joined thousands of other infections of the highly contagious virus that is causing violent vomiting and diarrhea across New York in recent weeks, as the percent of positive tests in the Northeast spiked nearly 40% since early December, federal data show.
However, the current outbreak in New York, at 13% total test positivity, remains less severe than the prior two years, which peaked at about 16% test positivity during late February and early March.Norovirus can spread year-round, but most cases hit from November to April, federal data show.
How norovirus spreads
Some of the most high-profile norovirus outbreaks stemmed from cruise ships and dining establishments, as the disease spreads easily during social gatherings indoors as well as through improperly handled food.
New Yorkers can check restaurant inspections for eateries in the counties of Rochester, Westchester and across the state at Data.DemocratandChronicle.com and data.lohud.com.
Infected food workers are frequently the source of these outbreaks, often by touching ready-to-eat foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, with their bare hands before serving them.
You can get norovirus by accidentally getting tiny particles of feces (poop) or vomit in your mouth from a person infected with norovirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The particles can linger on surfaces or spray through the air, with an infected person shedding billions of invisible particles while contagious, which can linger up to two weeks after symptoms end.
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Does hand sanitizer kill norovirus?
No. The germs that cause norovirus can’t be killed by hand sanitizer. Always use soap and water and wash thoroughly to limit the risk of catching the bug, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.
When you’re handling contaminated objects or surfaces, wear disposable gloves. Be sure to wash soiled clothes and linens immediately in hot water. Frequently clean surfaces and objects that the sick person has touched using either a chlorine bleach solution with at least 5.25% bleach or a product approved by the EPA for norovirus, such as a range of antimicrobial sprays and wipes.
How many norovirus cases in U.S.?
Each year in the United States, CDC says, norovirus causes on average:
- 900 deaths, mostly among adults aged 65 and older
- 109,000 hospitalizations
- 465,000 emergency department visits, mostly in young children
- 19 to 21 million illnesses