The Pocono area ducked the flu this winter, but we didn’t get off scot-free.

The region is seeing a rash of nasty stomach viruses — the kind that keep you close to home.

Cases of the stomach bug have more than tripled locally, said Dr. Susheer Gandotra, medical director of infectious diseases at Pocono Medical Center, East Stroudsburg.

Also known as gastroenteritis, it’s an inflammation of the intestines. the culprit is typically a norovirus, the most common food-borne illness in the United States, according to Stroudsburg gastroenterologist Dr. Charles Cohan.

Symptoms usually include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Low-grade fevers sometime occur.

“Nausea and vomiting is first to go away, followed by abdominal pain, which resolves second. Diarrhea is third — it usually goes away in five days,” Cohan said.

For most healthy people with properly functioning immune systems, the virus is hardly ever dangerous.

“The overwhelming majority of cases resolve without treatment whatsoever,” Cohan said. “Keep yourself hydrated. the best formula is water with sugar and electrolytes or sports drinks like Gatorade.”

Noroviruses are highly contagious, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. the illness usually is over in 24 to 48 hours, but people can still feel run down for a few days after.

“The danger is major dehydration,” said Dr. Jeff Jahre, section chief of infectious diseases at St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Between 80 and 90 percent of stomach bugs are viral in origin, not bacterial, according to Cohan.

“Assuming the person’s immune system is intact, your immune system will overcome the virus and you typically will get better,” he said.

At greatest risk are young children, the elderly and people who are already sick. “They are more prone to get dehydrated,” Gandotra said.

In a separate report released last week, the CDC said noroviruses are more deadly than previously realized. the report says that, on average, they were linked to 800 deaths a year in the U.S., but deaths also doubled in years where new strains emerged. the study looked at gastroenteritis-related deaths from 1999 to 2007 and showed that noroviruses ranked second among the causes.

“Our findings highlight the need for effective measures to prevent, diagnose and manage gastroenteritis,” said lead researcher Aron Hall.

Noroviruses can spread through contaminated food or water and by touching contaminated surfaces, the CDC says.

Contamination occurs, Jahre said, through what health officials politely call the “fecal-oral route,” meaning it’s likely spread first by someone who did not wash his hands after using the bathroom or after vomiting.

In addition, people who have been sick remain contagious for three days to two weeks, the CDC said, so being vigilant is important to stop the spread of the illness.

Gandotra said the outbreak will probably last another few weeks, but it’s impossible to say for sure.

If there is a bright spot, he added, it’s what the illness is not — the flu. Influenza, a much more serious and often deadly virus, has been “virtually non-existent” this year, Jahre said.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza in Pennsylvania fell 96 percent this winter, from 9,851 last year to 367 this year.

Monroe County had four cases positively identified as influenza this year compared with 130 last year — a 97 percent drop. Pike reported an 81 percent drop, from 16 a year ago to three this year.

MCT Information Services contributed to this story.

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Just drink plenty of liquids and get plenty of rest. Chicken noodle soup might be something good to eat

Keep hydrated, with drinking water or sports drinks, and using a humidifier if possible. Tylenol will temporarily bring your fever down. and rest, rest, rest. Work, School, hobbies, friends, etc. will just have to wait until you are better.

Drink orange juice (plenty of it),theroflu, and nightquyl. put p.j.s on along with some socks and sweat it out. If you do it right you should feel better with in a day or two.