No, No, Norovirus: CDC Says Gastrointestinal Deaths Doubled in Recent Years

March 15, 2012

norovirus, gastrointestinal infections, gastroenteritis, reporting on healthFrom the gross-but-important file: Deaths from gastrointestinal infections in the United States have more than doubled in eight years, according to new CDC data, Alan Mozes reports for HealthDay. Norovirus and c. difficile are key culprits. Mozes writes:

"The message here is that clearly this is not just a problem in the developing world," noted study lead author Aron Hall, an Atlanta-based epidemiologist in the CDC's division of viral diseases. "Diarrhea is an important problem in the U.S., particularly among the elderly, and it seems to be worsening in recent years."

According to the study, 83 percent of all observed deaths from gastroenteritis in the United States now occur among adults over the age of 65.

Related Resources:

CDC Press Release: Deaths from gastroenteritis double
Drugs vs. Bugs: Covering outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections

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