Norovirus, also known as the stomach bug, is spreading across the U.S. Here's what to know about the contagious virus and how best to prevent an infection.

The start of the new year hasn’t been too kind to millions of Americans, who have had their bellies bulldozed by the norovirus. Though previously uncommon, this particular strain, dubbed GII.17[P17],

A highly contagious strain of norovirus, GII.17, is rapidly spreading across the United States, fueling an unusually high number of outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).