Norovirus spreads in Pima County

PIMA COUNTY — It’s the highly contagious stomach bug spreading across Pima County even earlier this year, making people feel sicker and even spreading it faster than before.

According to the CDC, the norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Although the norovirus is not a new, according to health experts it's common during the colder, winter months.

Pima County epidemiologists say that typically we experience the most confirmed norovirus activity in the summer months like May and June.

“It's a very hardy virus, it can sit on surfaces for a really long time if not clean. Studies have shown it can sit on the surface for up to two weeks if not cleaned properly, so it's really easy to contract," said Anissa Taylor, Pima County Epidemiologist.

In 2022, Pima County had a 1.2 times the amount of confirmed norovirus cases compared to the previous 5 years.

Health department officials say that it is difficult to estimate because of the short amount of illness time and many people not getting medical care for the virus.
Pima County Health Department also says that we are not currently seeing an increased case count compared to a typical year.

On a nationwide scale, norovirus awareness has made health departments sound the alarm on keeping up with hand hygiene and to not cook or prepare food if you have it.

“It's usually about 24 to 48 hours of symptoms," said Taylor. "Diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting."

Norovirus causes 58% of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. which has cost our country about $2 billion, mainly due to lost productivity and healthcare expenses, according to the CDC.

Dehydration comes with norovirus so doctors recommend patients to stay hydrated. Plus, epidemiologists say most people recover from the virus in one to two days but the virus will continue to shed for up to two days or longer. Which is why norovirus can be difficult to control and track locally and nationally.