Taipei: More than 300,000 patients with diarrhea visited emergency and outpatient departments in Taiwan last week, marking the highest number for the same period in five years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Tuesday.

According to Focus Taiwan, a total of 304,418 individuals sought medical attention for diarrhea from February 16-22, reflecting a 5.1 percent increase from the previous week’s 289,666 cases, as stated by CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei during a regular news briefing. Last week’s diarrhea cases represented the highest recorded numbers for the same period since 2021.

The report also highlighted 410 clusters of diarrhea infections reported over the past four weeks, the highest for the same period in five years, with the majority occurring in the food and hospitality industries, Kuo added. Among the 203 cluster cases that tested positive for a pathogen, norovirus was detected in 195, accounting for 96.1 percent of those cases.

CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-huai advised the public to maintain proper hand and food hygiene, given the high level of diarrhea infections in Taiwan. Those experiencing symptoms such as watery stools or vomiting should seek medical attention promptly and rest at home to reduce the risk of spreading infections, Tseng emphasized.

Norovirus, a highly contagious virus, can cause illness even with a low viral load, affecting individuals of all ages through incidents such as consuming contaminated food or water or having close contact with infected individuals, according to a CDC news statement. With an incubation period ranging from 10 to 50 hours, norovirus can cause symptoms not only limited to diarrhea and vomiting but also fever, headaches, and muscle aches, lasting from one to 10 days, the CDC reported.