Suspected and Confirmed Norovirus Outbreak Trends in Georgia Health Districts: A Retrospective Review with Observations and Recommendations for Public Health Response Approaches (2017–2024)
Curtis Sarkar
Citations
Abstract
Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States, particularly affecting high-risk congregate settings such as schools, long-term care facilities, and correctional institutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in public health operations and infection control practices influenced outbreak dynamics and response strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in both suspected and confirmed norovirus outbreaks across Georgia’s health districts from 2017 to 2024, assess how outbreak characteristics differed before and after the pandemic, and evaluate the impact of remote versus hybrid response strategies on outbreak management. Using a retrospective design, de-identified data from the Georgia State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (SendSS) were cleaned and analyzed using a statistical program to identify patterns in seasonality, setting, and intervention approach. Health districts’ response to outbreaks were categorized as using either remote methods or hybrid models (remote plus in-person site visits). Outbreak characteristics, including duration and case counts, were visualized using descriptive tables and figures. Preliminary findings indicated increased norovirus activity following the pandemic, with notable peaks in the 2023-2024 season. Long-term care facilities and schools experienced the most amount of GI outbreaks compared to other settings. Due to limitations in the data—such as missing fields for total number ill, inconsistent closure date reporting, and no standardized field for response type—this study could not draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of response strategies. However, literature supports the value of hybrid approaches. Public health departments may benefit from improving outbreak documentation and prioritizing tailored interventions in high-burden settings to strengthen future norovirus response.
