Highly Contagious Stomach Flu on Rise, Experts Sound Alarm 

United States: The health officials of Southern Nevada District have sounded alarms after cases of vicious and highly contagious norovirus traced reported, portraying an imminent threat to the people of Las Vegas Valley on Thursday. 

Further, the health district stated that norovirus – commonly called the ‘stomach flu’ is not the influenza virus. 

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Experts note that people get infected with norovirus, which is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne disease in the United States occurring once each year, from November to April. 

The following are the signs and symptoms that are common among the patients: stomach ache; vomiting; nausea and diarrhea. Other symptoms of the disease can also manifest through fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue, the agency said in a news release. 

Health officials also report that most of the people who get the virus take one to three days to recover. Nonetheless, people with other underlying medical conditions such as the elderly, and young children may be at higher risk of severe cases. 

The health department says that norovirus is highly contagious and can cause illness within one to two days of exposure. Individuals can get it through contact with a case, for instance when nursing them, using the same dish eating utensils, or indirectly when they consume food and water that has been prepared within the same house with the infected individual, as the release pointed out. 

Health officials also report that it can also spread through contaminated food or drink, or by touching objects or surfaces that are contaminated and then touching the mouth with unwashed hands. 

“It is possible to spread norovirus for up to two weeks or more after symptoms have resolved,” the official statement noted. 

As Dr. Fermin Leguen, District Health Officer for the Southern Nevada Health District stated, “As we approach the holiday season people will be spending more time at gatherings with family and friends,” reviewjournal.com reported. 

“I encourage everyone to take steps to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy, including getting their updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines if they haven’t already done so,” he added.