US EditionHealth experts concerned over new strain of flu, norovirus this holiday season
Norovirus test positivity has doubled to 14% in recent weeks while flu cases rise early due to a new strain and lower vaccine uptake, CDC data shows.
- By November 26, 2025, public health experts warned subclade K and rising norovirus cases, with nearly 14% positivity the week ending Nov. 15 from over 2,700 tests, could worsen holiday illnesses.
- Doctors point to seasonal and immunization drivers, noting vaccine participation is down and the new flu strain emerged after vaccines manufactured this past summer, while indoor holiday gatherings and last year’s GII.17 dominance explain earlier norovirus spread and lower immunity.
- Amanda Bidwell said norovirus concentrations in wastewater have increased nationwide since October, while WasteWaterSCAN flagged activity as 'high' nationally the week ending Nov. 11; the CDC does not currently monitor wastewater, creating differing signals.
- Immediate consequences include Duke University Hospital Emergency Department facing increased flu and norovirus cases, Wilson Middle School, Wyandotte, Michigan closing last week, and norovirus causing about 2,500 outbreaks annually.
- Looking ahead, researchers caution Dr. Robert Atmar, Baylor College of Medicine, says each norovirus variant has a 50/50 chance to dominate this year but expects fewer illnesses than last year due to increased immunity, while Moderna's Phase 3 trial continues with monitoring into 2026.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Chances of Getting a Cold or Flu Higher
(Atlanta, GA) — Norovirus cases are rising across America as we head into Thanksgiving. The CDC says 14-percent of cases have come back positive this past week for this highly contagious gastrointestinal illness, which is often referred to as “stomach flu.” In fact, norovirus is not a type of influenza but rather the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. States with the highest number of norovirus cases include Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma,…
CDC Reports Cases of Norovirus on the Rise Nationwide
Cases of a stomach virus have been on the rise across the United States in recent months, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around 14 percent of tests for norovirus came back positive for the most recent week that ended Nov. 15, the CDC said in a report updated on Nov. 21. That’s about double from roughly three months ago in mid-August. A norovirus case is usually characterized by the sudden …
Contagious Norovirus Surges Nationwide Ahead of Holidays
A highly contagious stomach virus is spreading rapidly across the U.S. as Americans prepare for holiday travel and gatherings.Norovirus — often called the winter vomiting disease — has been climbing steadily since mid-October, particularly in Louisiana, Michigan, and Indiana, according to WastewaterSCAN, a monitoring program run by Stanford and Emory universities.According to WastewaterSCAN's scientific program manager, Amanda Bidwell, norovirus…
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