• Posted January 10, 2026

What You Need to Know to Prevent And Fight Norovirus

Nearly half a million Americans visit the emergency room (ER) each year with a fast-spreading stomach bug called norovirus.

While anybody can be infected, young children and seniors are at risk of becoming very sick, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns in its January newsletter News in Health.

Outbreaks of norovirus — often called "stomach flu" — are common in nursing homes, on cruise ships and in other crowded places. 

Symptoms usually develop within 12 to 48 hours of infection, and include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain, as well as headache, fever and body aches.

"Noroviruses are the main cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illnesses in the United States," the newsletter noted, adding that you can get sick via direct contact with an infected person, their stool or their vomit. 

You can also get infected through tainted food, water or surfaces.

While a doctor can usually make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, there is no approved treatment for noroviruses.

You’ll likely receive a prescription or over-the-counter medication to ease nausea, prevent vomiting and treat diarrhea. If you’re dehydrated, you may also be given fluids.

The good news: Adults who are generally healthy usually bounce back within days. But those with weakened immune systems may battle longer, and the virus can even be life-threatening.

While there’s no approved vaccine to prevent norovirus, some are in the testing phase.

Researchers are using tiny 3D models of human intestines — "mini-guts" — to study the virus. They can expose these cells to noroviruses in the lab and observe how the infection develops.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston are also looking for the specific proteins — called "cell receptors — that are used by the viruses to enter cells.

They are trying to identify the receptor for a new norovirus strain that is spreading worldwide.

"Identifying the receptor should help us learn more about the disease and strategies to prevent it," said Mary Estes, who studies stomach viruses.

Meanwhile, if you have norovirus symptoms, stay home for 48 hours and avoid contact with others if you can, NIH suggests. 

These steps can also help prevent the virus from spreading:

• Wait until symptoms are gone before prepping food for others.

• If possible, those who are ill should not share a bathroom with those who are well.

• Drink lots of fluid — water, juice, energy drinks — but avoid alcohol and caffeine.

• Wash hands often for at least 20 seconds.

• Clean up vomit and/or diarrhea safely: Use rubber or disposable gloves. Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces. Immediately wash contaminated laundry in hot water and dry on high heat.

More information

There’s more about preventing stomach flu at the University of California - Davis Health.

SOURCE: NIH News in Health, January 2026