stomach flu

This is turning out to be a miserable winter for staying healthy. First it was the flu epidemic, and now comes word that a new, severe strain of norovirus - also called the winter vomiting bug or the cruise-ship virus - has spread from Australia to Europe to Canada to the U.S.

The norovirus -- a nasty little bug that causes stomach upset similar to food poisoning -- sickened passengers and crew on three cruise ships sailing out of Florida and Louisiana this past weekend, requiring the ships to delay departure while they underwent special disinfection.