Norovirus cases are up across the U.S., including in Arizona right now.
Dr. Moneesh Bhow is medical director of the emergency department at Banner University Medical Center - Phoenix. He said the hospital has been busy the last few weeks with patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.
“Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, fever. So we’ve been seeing a lot of it,” Bhow said.
Last month, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health tracked six outbreaks of gastrointestinal viruses in senior care facilities. That compares to just two outbreaks in the same timeframe the year before.
And the department says there were 942 lab-confirmed norovirus cases in Maricopa County in 2024 – more than a 50% increase over 2023 and more than double the number of cases reported in 2022.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide, nearly a quarter of recent lab tests for norovirus have turned up a positive case – the highest positivity rate in at least six years.
Norovirus and similar stomach bugs are highly contagious so Bhow said if you do get sick, it’s important to stay home and avoid contact with others.
Bhow said these illnesses typically pass within one or two days and may not require treatment. But he said, some cases warrant a visit to the emergency room.
“If you’re not able to keep anything down, you’re feeling dehydrated, your lips and your tongue are very dry, you're not urinating as much, you’re feeling very weak, your pulse is getting high, those are all reasons why you should seek medical attention,” Bhow said.
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