Norovirus spreading at 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada
CTV
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Norovirus is spreading at a “higher frequency” than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
Norovirus is a common, highly contagious virus that causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, cramps and diarrhea.
“The number of norovirus cases reported has been higher than expected in 2024 compared to the previous five-year historical average,” a PHAC spokesperson told CTV News Toronto.
Specifically, PHAC noted an increase in Ontario, Alberta and, to a lesser extent, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The health agency acknowledged the five-year historical average the current uptick is based on includes several years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of reduced norovirus reports.
University Health Network Infectious Diseases Leadership Chair Dr. Susy Hota, said the pandemic is also a reason we’re seeing more cases.
“People are doing more social things and going on cruises and those kinds of exposures that are risks for getting norovirus,” Hota said.
