There are local norovirus trends similar to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting nationwide, the associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital says.

"We are seeing upticks in our outpatient community population as well as our inpatient population, and we've actually had staff members who are out sick with norovirus this past week," Dr. Scott Roberts, who is also an Associate Professor at Yale School of Medicine, says. 

He says reported norovirus cases have roughly doubled every month since December at his hospital.

"The school of public health monitors the wastewater data and the signal for norovirus is quite concerning. We've seen really rapid rises over the last few weeks," Roberts says.

He says the virus can spread from hands, surfaces, food and water, and symptoms can come on suddenly.

"It doesn't take much virus to infect, very few particles are needed to really cause a very large infection in someone. So, it's very problematic and very contagious," Roberts says.

Robers says to constantly wash your hands and avoid people are sick.

"The key is it has to be soap and water instead of Purell or the alcohol-based hand sanitizing gels because that doesn't kill the norovirus spores," Roberts says.

The Norwalk Health Department does not receive official reports of local cases of norovirus unless an outbreak is identified. It released a statement saying in part, "The health department is aware of the national increase in cases, and we are monitoring the situation closely."

Similarly, the Connecticut Department of Public Health confirms it has seen an uptick in norovirus numbers statewide.