The BBC reports that figures from the British Health Protection Agency (HPA) show a 64 percent increase in the number of norovirus cases than this time in 2011. An estimated 660,000 people have already contracted the virus this year and the figures continue to climb. The HPA, in a December 12 news release said, “There are no indications as to why activity is higher this year.”

The BBC reports that numerous hospitals throughout the United Kingdom have been impacted by the onslaught of norovirus. As a result, large numbers of wards have closed. A cruise ship making its way to Southampton has also dealt with an outbreak onboard. The ship, which undertook a 10-day cruise of the Baltic, has reported 160-plus cases of norovirus. School districts are also reporting large numbers of students absent with norovirus symptoms.

Norovirus spreads from person to person through what doctors call the “faecal-oral route.” According to the HPA website, “Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact with an infected person; by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects or by consuming contaminated food or water. The virus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools and care homes. The illness usually resolves in one or two days and there are no long term effects.” A major factor in inhibiting the spread of the virus is constant hand washing.