Overview
- CDC NoroSTAT shows about 13% test positivity for the week of Nov. 15, roughly double three months prior, with a brief dip reported the following week.
- WastewaterSCAN reports nationally high and rising norovirus concentrations since October, with hotspots in the Midwest and Northeast including Indiana, Michigan, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
- The CDC says reported outbreaks so far are below last year’s pace and remain within the average range for this point in the season.
- A CDC study found the GII.17 variant drove roughly 75% of U.S. outbreaks in 2024–2025, and experts say susceptibility, not proven higher transmissibility, may be fueling early spread.
- Guidance stresses soap-and-water handwashing, bleach-based surface disinfection, staying home when ill and avoiding food preparation, with norovirus causing an estimated 19–21 million illnesses and about 900 U.S. deaths annually.