TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control reported that from Feb. 2-8, over 302,000 individuals sought medical treatment for diarrhea at outpatient and emergency departments, marking the highest in 10 years.

Over the past four weeks, 398 diarrhea cluster infections have been reported, the highest for the same period in five years. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said the majority of cluster infections took place in the restaurant and hospitality industries, per CNA.

Of the 215 cases that tested positive for pathogens, 98.6% were linked to norovirus. While norovirus is generally not severe in healthy individuals, it is highly contagious, especially in crowded environments.

CDC Spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that while diarrhea-related medical visits reached a 10-year high, no large-scale outbreaks have occurred. She added the virus strain remains unchanged, and case numbers are expected to decline starting next week.

The CDC reminded the public that viral gastroenteritis symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. The illness can last one to 10 days, with young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals at higher risk of severe symptoms.

Pediatrician Wang Wei-li (王韋力) warned that as few as 100 norovirus particles are enough to cause illness. A single episode of vomiting can release tens of millions of virus particles into the air.

Currently, no antiviral drugs or vaccines exist for norovirus. Treatments mainly focus on supportive care, as antibiotics for bacterial gastroenteritis do not affect viral gastroenteritis.