The virus, often colloquially referred to as “stomach flu,” saw the percentage of positive tests double during the first week of January compared to last year. Positive test percentages for cases of norovirus in the United States are double what they were at the same period a year ago,

A norovious outbreak at a California shelter housing Los Angeles fire evacuees has left 28 sick. The virulent illness norovirus spreads easily in close quarters, causing diarrhea, vomiting and stomach

Rates of norovirus in that CDC system have reached levels at or above last season's peak in all regions of the country. Norovirus test positivity rates look to be the worst in the Midwest, in a grouping of states spanning Kansas through Michigan.

First came the fires. Then, there was ash and contaminated water. Now, some survivors of the Southern California wildfires are dealing with outbreaks of norovirus and other stomach ailments at a shelter set up to help evacuees.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show cases of norovirus, the highly contagious stomach bug, are surging in the U.S.

Health officials are raising alarms about a significant increase in norovirus cases nationwide, including here in North Texas.

"It is too early to tell if this strain is associated with more severe norovirus disease but likely lower population immunity is the reason for the early surge of an otherwise seasonal increase of this virus," Jan Vinjé, head of the CDC's CaliciNet system ...

You can also get norovirus by touching objects or surfaces that are contaminated and then putting your hands in your mouth without washing them first. Hand-washing with soap and water is key, as hand sanitizer will not do the trick in the case of norovirus, experts say.

Norovirus, also known as the stomach bug, is spreading across the U.S. Here's what to know about the contagious virus and how best to prevent an infection.

Drivers of the increase in norovirus cases may include a new strain, but continued precautions, good hygiene, can help reduce risk.

No. Hand sanitizer is simply not as effective against norovirus as it at killing other pathogens due to the virus's firm shell, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY.com recently.