Cases of norovirus are surging in the U.S., according to data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), with a massive uptick in positive tests for the virus happening since late January 2023.

The test analyzes your poop, so it’s not something your primary care physician would typically order for you, explains infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“Having norovirus could be one of life’s most miserable experiences,” says Thomas Russo, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York.

“Often, a primary care physician is able to call in antiemetics such as Zofran (ondansetron) to minimize the vomiting so hydration can occur,” Dr. Adalja says.

But if nothing else helps and you’re showing signs of dehydration (you’re not peeing much, you have a dry mouth and throat, or you feel dizzy when you stand up), you may need to go to the ER for IV fluids.

She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.