The name of the disease creeping across America is bad enough, but what makes the “winter vomiting disease” much like a malevolent holiday Grinch is that its numbers are creeping upwards.
Officially, a norovirus is to blame for the illness, posing a particular threat to immunocompromised individuals, older citizens, and small children, according to Axios.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that on the week of Nov. 15, the most recent data available, about 14 percent of samples tested were positive for the virus, as opposed to 7 percent three months ago.
December 2024 saw test positivity – the only measure of norovirus available — hit almost 25 percent.
The highly contagious norovirus is back, spreading through food, surfaces and close contact. Here’s how to avoid it, according to CDC and medical experts. pic.twitter.com/wpVYUkqm22
— Pulse Media (@PulseInDc) November 28, 2025
As noted by the New York Post, “winter vomiting disease” is serious business. About 60 percent of all foodborne illnesses are caused by it.
CDC data estimates there are about 2,500 norovirus outbreaks per year, leading to 900 deaths. The CDC links the norovirus to about 465,000 emergency room visits, noting that about 21 million Americans get norovirus each year.
The most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
Norovirus cases rising fast in the US!
The “Winter Vomiting Disease” is spreading rapidly — causing sudden vomiting, diarrhea, fever & dehydration, especially in kids and seniors.
🛡️ Stay Safe: Wash hands, disinfect surfaces, avoid cooking if sick, stay hydrated.#Norovirus pic.twitter.com/AcHnBBeQ2w— Onlymyhealth (@onlymyhealth) November 30, 2025
The virus is spread by contact with an infected person, or through contact with surfaces contaminated by a person who has contracted the virus.
“We hear about it on cruise ships because you’ve got these packed environments, but cruise ships only account for about 1% of outbreaks,” Dr. Joanna Turner Bisgrove, a family physician and assistant professor of family medicine at Rush University Medical Center, said of the illness, according to the New York Post.
“Right now, we’re in the high category for norovirus at the national level,” Amanda Bidwell, scientific program manager for WastewaterSCAN, added.
The CDC said that handwashing is the best line of defense against the virus, noting that using soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the best way to ensure the virus is scrubbed away.
Norovirus outbreaks are surging in the US.
This JAMA Patient Page from 2019 describes the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of #norovirus. https://t.co/wP4N6Eq1fU pic.twitter.com/pF7P7hpO4l
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) January 8, 2025
Bisgrove said that “getting norovirus off of surfaces is tricky because it is resistant to most disinfectants and hand sanitizers.”
“In fact, norovirus can stay on food, countertops and serving utensils for up to two weeks, even at freezing temperatures and until heated to above 140º F,” she said.
One caution: hand sanitizer does not work well against a norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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