Health experts concerned over new strain of flu, norovirus this holiday season
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Thanksgiving brings families and friends together each year, but no one wants to bring any viruses to the table.
And with norovirus cases on the rise, public health experts are also warning about a new strain of the flu that could make for a particularly nasty flu season.
Scientists are pointing to higher rates of illness in the U.K. and Japan driven by the latest strain of the flu, called subclade K.
And the fear is the same will happen in the Tri-State area, which will lead to more people getting sick.
"We learn best from the experiences of flu cases across the world, and we are seeing a lot of significant increase across the world, so I know it's going to be here as well," said Dr. Eric Ascher with Lenox Hill Hospital.
RELATED | How to protect kids amid new subclade K flu strain
And to make matters worse, vaccine participation is down and the new strain developed this past summer after pharmaceutical companies manufactured the latest vaccine.
"That creates what we call a mismatch, that increases the concern that the flu might be able to evade our immune response and reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine," said ABC News Medical Correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton.
And doctors have another worry: norovirus. The contagious infection is commonly called the stomach flu, but is not connected to the influenza virus.
The CDC's latest figures highlight a surge in the number of cases, 14% of tests for norovirus came back positive.
That's double the number from just three months ago and approaching the record 25% of last December.
Dr. Ascher, a family medicine physician, offered some advice.
"You want to make sure that you wash your hands before you eat, avoid touching your face, and if you're not feeling well, best to sit out," Dr. Ascher said. "You don't want to get somebody vulnerable - sick."
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