Highly contagious norovirus hits UK with warning to stay home for 48 hours
The UK Health Security Agency has sounded the alarm, advising people to stay home for 48 hours if they contract the highly infectious G11.17 strain of norovirus.This particular variant is behind most of the cases this winter season 2024/25, as per the agency's latest weekly report.The update also pointed out that norovirus activity is "now increasing again across all age groups, with the biggest increase in adults, particularly adults aged 65 years and over".
In the two weeks from November 4 to 17, 2024, there was a significant 31.6% spike in cases compared to the preceding two weeks.
The total number of reports was nearly twice the average of the past five seasons for the same timeframe.The count of norovirus outbreaks reported to the Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) since the beginning of the 2024/2025 season stands at 19.4% above the five-season average.
Although some of the rise in reporting could be attributed to the broader use of PCR multiplex technology - which can detect various gastrointestinal pathogens simultaneously - it "is likely that the emergence of an unusual norovirus genotype, GII.17, as well as changes in the epidemiology following the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors are contributing to the observed rise".
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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