New Norovirus Strain Fuels ‘Unusually’ High Outbreaks Across US! 

New Norovirus Strain Fuels 'Unusually' High Outbreaks Across US! 
New Norovirus Strain Fuels 'Unusually' High Outbreaks Across US! 

United States: A new strain of norovirus now causes a maximum number of outbreaks across the country, based on the statistics obtained from data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The new strain of the bacteria, which has been identified as circulating across the country and on cruise ships, can explain the sharp spike in the previous month’s wave of the stomach bug. 

About the latest strain 

What scientists refer to as GII.17[P17] was the most recurrent strain of norovirus this winter. 

About 70 percent of the samples collected from patients in various norovirus outbreaks have been found to be of the new strain so far in this season, a network of public health laboratories- CaliciNet has revealed. 

New Norovirus Strain Fuels 'Unusually' High Outbreaks Across US! Credit | Getty Images
New Norovirus Strain Fuels ‘Unusually’ High Outbreaks Across US! Credit | Getty Images

According to Jan Vinjé, head of the CDC’s CaliciNet system, “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,” CBS News reported. 

Since 2012, all waves of norovirus in the US have been overlaid by another genetic strain that, according to Vinjé, goes by the scientific name GII.4. 

This season, less than seven percent of outbreaks involving norovirus have been associated with that particular GII.4. 

Vinjé added that the GII.17 strain is associated with outbreaks “everywhere” within the nation concerning this season of the highly transmissible virus, including cruise ship outbreaks. 

What does the CDC state? 

The CDC identified at least half a dozen norovirus cases on vessels last month – the highest number reported for a specific month in more than 10 years. 

New Norovirus Strain Fuels 'Unusually' High Outbreaks Across US!
New Norovirus Strain Fuels ‘Unusually’ High Outbreaks Across US!

Norovirus is the most prevalent cause of foodborne illness in the United States, and almost every year, it starts moving around the country right from the winter, CBS News reported. 

Most incidents clear up without the patient needing to be diagnosed or treated by a physician, and, as such, the precise number of Americans who get ill cannot be ascertained. 

Nevertheless, almost all records relating to the virus indicate that norovirus is on high throughout the country. 

The positivity of norovirus tests from separate CDC network laboratories has risen to the highest weekly levels observed in years. 

Norovirus data in numbers from testing firm BioFire Diagnostics is also starting to rise higher than previous seasonal levels. 

Samples in wastewater tested by WastewaterSCAN have been “high” for norovirus in almost all the sites across the country that the firm has tested.