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Norwalk health staff: RSV high in Connecticut; norovirus and other respiratory viruses rising
Summary
Norwalk epidemiology staff reported on CDC and national surveillance showing Connecticut RSV wastewater activity 'very high,' rising RSV and flu emergency visits, low but increasing COVID activity, and a seasonal rise in norovirus and rhinovirus/enterovirus.
Brian, program director of epidemiology and informatics, gave a surveillance update drawing on CDC dashboards and the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System. He said national respiratory‑illness activity is at a 'moderate' level and that wastewater virus activity for COVID‑19, flu and RSV is low nationally, while Connecticut shows 'very high' RSV wastewater activity and moderate overall respiratory activity.
Brian said emergency department visits for COVID‑19 and flu are low nationally but increasing for flu; Connecticut shows RSV and flu increases in emergency visits. He emphasized the seasonal uptick after Thanksgiving and noted that rhinovirus and enterovirus remain common contributors to respiratory test positivity. He also highlighted norovirus as being on the rise and reminded listeners that hand sanitizer is not effective against norovirus, recommending handwashing precautions for holiday gatherings.
Brian flagged that enterovirus can, in rare cases, cause acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in young children and urged awareness of more severe outcomes in that small subset of cases. Board members had no questions and thanked him for the briefing.
