New Strain of Norovirus - 'Quick and Miserable' - On the Rise
A new norovirus strain was detected last year in Australia and has reached the Hamilton area.
The winter vomiting bug, or the norovirus, is making its rounds. While it is not typical that most people are tested for it - and many may not even visit their doctor, "but we assume we have a lot," said Kim Paskalis, public health nurse in Hamilton. "For most people, this is a quick but miserable thing," she said. "It's a nasty bug." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the norovirus causes about 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths each year, mostly in young children and the elderly. Some of the virus' common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains. The CDC points out that the norovirus is often referred to as the stomach flu, but it is unrelated to influenza. The bug may be a …
