Gifford-Jones: It may be flu season, but this is not the flu

Recommended Videos Article content A lot of people made sick by norovirus think they have the flu. The symptoms are similar. But norovirus isn’t the flu at all. It’s a tiny, highly contagious virus that infects the stomach and intestines. It spreads through contaminated food, water, surfaces, and, most usually, dirty hands. The virus is found only in humans, not animals, and it doesn’t need much help to make trouble. A microscopic particle is enough to make you sick. Once ingested, it multiplies rapidly and exits just as quickly, shedding billions of copies that can infect others. It’s so efficient that it’s been called “the perfect pathogen.” Most outbreaks emerge in familiar places like restaurants, daycare facilities, cruise ships, or long-term care homes. The virus is so hardy