The Bay State is apparently not immune to the surge in nasty stomach bug cases across the country.

Norovirus cases have reportedly spiked in Massachusetts over the last few months, according to data from the Department of Public Health.

Massachusetts health officials have seen a jump in laboratory-confirmed norovirus cases reported so far this season — with 134 cases reported in November and 279 cases reported in December.

That’s a 158% surge from last November, when 52 cases were reported, and a 149% spike from the previous December, when there were 112 reported cases.

Norovirus infections reported annually among Massachusetts residents have increased since 2022, when there were 678 cases reported. That annual count jumped to 1,252 reported cases in 2023, and then 2,080 reported cases last year.

Typically, Massachusetts case counts of the very contagious virus peak in February or March.

“The Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences has been monitoring the increase in cases,” DPH said in a statement.

“It is possible that the uptick may be partially due to increased use of syndromic testing panels, along with some artificial increase due to false positivity reported by some panel manufacturers in recent years,” the state agency added.

Norovirus outbreaks have been rising across the country, according to CDC data.

The CDC’s NoroSTAT network data of norovirus outbreak activity in more than a dozen states shows 91 reported outbreaks for the week ending Dec. 5. That count was more than double the maximum average of 41 reported outbreaks for the same week in previous years.

The total of 91 reported outbreaks was a jump from 69 reported outbreaks for the week before ending Nov. 28.

Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the country. It is sometimes called the “stomach flu” or the “stomach bug.” However, norovirus illness is not related to the flu. The flu is caused by the influenza virus. Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines.

Most people with norovirus illness get better within one to three days. But they can still spread the virus for a few days after.

“DPH recommends that people stay home when they are sick and practice good hand hygiene — washing with soap and water — to help reduce spread,” DPH said in a statement. “Hand sanitizer alone does not work well against norovirus.

“A person infected with norovirus should not prepare or handle food for other people for at least three days after symptoms go away,” the state agency added.

A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Some other symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches.

If eaten raw, oysters and other filter-feeding shellfish can contain viruses and bacteria that can cause illness or death. Anyone who consumes raw shellfish is at risk of contracting norovirus.

Children younger than 5 years old, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe infections.

If you have norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea. This will help prevent dehydration.

Dehydration can lead to serious problems. Severe dehydration may require hospitalization for treatment with fluids given through your vein (IV fluids). If you think you or someone you are caring for is severely dehydrated, call your doctor.

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