Los Angeles County sees significant uptick in norovirus cases, officials say
Norovirus cases are likely rising in Los Angeles, wastewater data shared by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health shows.
Wastewater sampling -- which collects water from sewers or treatment systems to analyze for pathogens or pollutants -- shows that during the 21-day period ending on Dec. 11, norovirus detection in wastewater rose 154% in Los Angeles and more than 250% in Los Angeles County, according to ABC News' Los Angeles station KABC
"Based on past trends, Public Health expects norovirus activity to rise between November to April, when outbreaks are more common during the cooler months," the health department said in a statement, according to KABC.
US cases of norovirus on the rise with double the rate of positive tests since August
The trend in Los Angeles mirrors those seen nationally. In mid-November, nearly 13% of tests came back positive for norovirus compared to roughly 7% about three months earlier, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More recently, national cases of norovirus appear to be declining, with 9.37% of tests coming back positive as of the week ending Dec. 6, CDC data shows.
