Emergency Rooms See Spike in Cases Of Stomach Flu

Flu season has hit New York City.

Emergency room visits among patients with the stomach flu have spiked to about 500 a day this month, compared to 300 a day in November, the city's health department reported.

Health officials attributed the visits to Norovirus, whose symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, chills, and fever. "Norovirus is common at this time of year," the director of enteric disease at the Health Department's Bureau of Communicable Disease, Dr. Sharon Balter, said.

"The best way to stop the spread of norovirus is to wash your hands regularly with soap and stay home from work or school if you are sick," she said.

Health department officials, who want more data on noroviral infections, have proposed a requirement that all laboratories report cases of the flu to the department.

The Board of Health will consider the proposal next month.