'Stomach flu' surfaces in Flathead Valley

The Daily Inter Lake

Several cases of norovirus - commonly called "stomach flu" - have surfaced in Flathead County.

Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping.

The disease is contagious and can spread quickly, the Flathead City-County Health Department said in a news release. It can spread through food and the air.

The health department recommends that people suspected of having a norovirus stay home for at least two days and avoid direct contact with other people.

People with stomach flu should not prepare food while they are ill and for at least two days after getting well.

Steady use of soap and water helps. Clothes and bedding used by a norovirus sufferer should be laundered, the health department said.

Food handlers should wait two to three days after the symptoms stop before returning to work.

For additional information, people can call the health department at 758-8110.