Wisconsin has seen a record-high number of norovirus outbreaks in the last month, which may be driven by a new strain of the highly-contagious virus.
Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhea and is the leading cause of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is typically spread through eating contaminated food or touching contaminated surfaces. It often spreads at restaurants and congregate settings like long-term care facilities or schools.
Lynn Roberts, epidemiologist for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said it’s typical for the state to see outbreaks of the virus from November through February.
This year, DHS recorded around 30 outbreaks of the virus in November, followed by 100 outbreaks in just the month of December.
“I haven’t seen a December like that in our outbreak database,” Roberts said. “We haven’t had quite that many in maybe ever.”
Roberts said it’s hard to know why norovirus is on the rise this year, both in Wisconsin and across the country. But she said she believes it could be because the strain of virus spreading across the state is new.