Norovirus is the country's leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness, and right on schedule, it's picking up steam again as the holidays arrive.
Recently the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned in its weekly newsletter that norovirus — commonly known as the stomach flu — is "on the rise."
As of Dec. 12, norovirus levels in wastewater in the U.S. West and South were labeled "medium" according to data linked on the department's website, but were "high" in the U.S. Midwest and Northeast. As of Dec. 20, levels were high at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, as well as in San Francisco.
Norovirus is highly contagious, and it travels from person to person a bit differently than the respiratory viruses that cause flu, COVID and common colds. That can be both good and bad news.
