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Health department reminders over norovirus spread

Having the stomach flu is far from fun.

"It was very, very sudden. I felt very nauseous, and then I started to throw up, and then I had diarrhea," says norovirus patient "Rusty Heart" Bronislawa.

The 82-year-old former nurse says she first got sick Wednesday, and after fighting it for a few days at home, she went to the clinic. Now that she is rehydrated from an IV drip, she says she feels better.

"I think I'll make it. And if I can make it, everybody else can," she says. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates some 21 million cases of norovirus each year in the United States. Doctors say it's the most common cause of nausea and vomiting. The good news is that those like Bronislawa who get it are usually only sick for a few days. The bad news is that the disease is definitely contagious.

"The norovirus is pretty infectious, so it tends to spread pretty quickly," says Dr. Chuck Schmitt, a physician at the Fanny Allen walk-in clinic in Colchester. "People can get sick within 12 to 24 hours after being exposed. So it tends to cause illnesses sort of in bigger batches."

The health department does not track isolated cases, but it does take note of groups. And two Vermont counties -- Franklin and Addison -- have already reported norovirus outbreaks.

"We can see them in anything like a long-term care facility, an assisted living facility, daycares, school, university, prisons even, anywhere where there's groups of people together," says Bradley Tompkins, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the Vermont Department of Health.

"We tend to see it in spurts, so there may be a few weeks where we see a lot of cases and we'll go a while without seeing quite as many," says Schmitt.

Most people can recover at home if they stay hydrated, using fluids like energy drinks to replace electrolytes in the system. But certain groups turn to walk-in clinics.

"Typically people who already have medical problems, or the older or younger patients, are a little more likely to get dehydrated from it. So we'll see those folks a bit more often," Schmitt says.

Infectious disease experts say they aren't sure why there is a rise in cases during the winter.

"There's a couple of theories out there about environmental factors or factors associated with the virus itself, but nobody has really pinned down the exact reason why we see it so much during the colder months," Tompkins says.

Health officials are reminding people that the best way to prevent the disease from spreading -- or to keep from catching it -- is to wash your hands regularly. And don't double-dip at tomorrow's Super Bowl parties.