{"id":353,"date":"2026-05-27T21:04:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T21:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=353"},"modified":"2026-05-27T21:04:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T21:04:12","slug":"highly-contagious-stomach-bug-surges-in-northern-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=353","title":{"rendered":"Highly contagious stomach bug surges in Northern California"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rates of rotavirus, a highly\u00a0contagious illness that can cause severe stomach flu symptoms among small children and leads to infant hospitalization, are still high or spiking in several California cities. But health experts say change may soon be on the horizon.\u00a0<\/p>

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According to WastewaterSCAN, which monitors multiple different viruses in municipal wastewater, traces of rotavirus are either high or spiking in San Francisco, Fremont, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, Marina, Ontario and Los Angeles County. However, Dr. Matthew Willis, a former health officer for Marin County, said that it\u2019s unlikely that the illness will surge into summer based on historic seasonal trends.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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\u201cI\u2019m not overly concerned at this stage that we\u2019re going to have a rough summer,\u201d Willis told SFGATE on Tuesday, adding that rotavirus typically peaks later than winter viruses like\u00a0RSV and the flu. Currently, the wave appears to be subsiding in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, Redwood City, Gilroy, the southeastern section of San Francisco and Novato.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Overall, though, he said that Northern California is experiencing a common \u201clate-spring surge.\u201d In areas like Monterey, it appears as though the community is experiencing an outbreak, though he noted it will likely resolve on its own. WastewaterSCAN data is currently \u201csignifying active transmission in that community,\u201d he explained. He also said that vigorously washing your hands with soap and water is crucial for preventing the spread since hand sanitizer isn\u2019t as effective.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Willis said that rotavirus is a disease that\u2019s mostly acquired in specific settings such as daycares where there is lots of close contact and diaper-changing. The disease can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route, in which stool from infected people can contaminate surfaces or food that people are unintentionally exposed to. According to UC San Francisco, about 50,000 children are hospitalized with the virus annually, and it\u2019s so common, most kids have already been exposed to it by the time they\u2019ve reached five years of age.<\/p>

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