A new strain of norovirus, a stomach bug known as GII.4 Sydney, is making the rounds and causing a number of outbreaks, according to Penn State University officials.
The main symptom of the stomach illness is acute vomiting, said Martin Bucknavage, food safety specialist at Penn State University.
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township has seen an uptick in the number of people sick from a stomach bug, but hospital officials do not differentiate if it's the new strain of norovirus, said Dr. Keith Vrabec, an emergency room physician. Symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea and it starts violently, he said.
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital's emergency room has seen a rush of patients with flu-like symptoms and stomach illnesses, but has had no confirmed cases of the new strain of virus known as GII.4 Sydney, spokesman Jim McGuire said.
The Pennsylvania Health Department does not track numbers, because it's not a reportable disease and many people don't seek treatment for the short-lived illness that typically lasts 24 to 72 hours, spokeswoman Kait Gillis said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says GII.4 Sydney has become the dominant strain, causing more than 140 outbreaks in the United States so far.
The virus, first identified last year in Australia, can be spread in contaminated food or water, from contaminated surfaces or directly from a sick person, Bucknavage said. Norovirus is not related to the flu, which is a respiratory illness caused by a different virus, and flu shots do not protect against it, he said.
Bucknavage said people should try to limit their exposure to norovirus and try to minimize its spread.
"It spreads very easily where people are, such as in a school or a cafeteria or a restaurant," Bucknavage said. "Someone throws up and it can be spread through direct contact."
Vrabec and Bucknavage said the best way to prevent becoming sick with the stomach illness is to wash your hands. Also, avoid contact with people who are sick, Bucknavage said. It is important for people who are ill to stay home, especially when they have been exposed to someone who has had the illness, he said.
"Rapid onset can occur at a dinner table, in a meeting or on the bus," he said. "People usually become ill within 12 to 24 hours of exposure, although longer incubation periods do occur."
Symptoms typically last 24 to 72 hours, and infected people can remain contagious for up to three days, Bucknavage said. He said people who become ill should consume liquids so they don't become dehydrated.
Distributed by MCT Information Services