Health department officials are cautioning Dutchess County residents to wash their hands vigorously in light of a quickly spreading stomach illness. Our John Wagner has the details.

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DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. -- "You could feel fine when you go to school in the morning and then at lunch time it hits you like a ton of bricks," said Dr. Michael Caldwell, the Dutchess County health commissioner.

A norovirus-like stomach bug is hitting many young adults in Dutchess County, where the health department says there's been a significant increase in cases at ten area schools.

"It's not fun to get," explained Dr. Caldwell. "You get really severe vomiting, severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, you get very dehydrated, so even though it may only be in your system a day or two, it takes a few days to recover from it."

It's the type of virus cruise ships occasionally have problems with. Sick students and workers are being asked to stay home because of how easily the virus spreads.

"Warmer days, it’s given this virus more of a chance to live and spread and more people are out more and interacting more than they might usually at this time of year," said Dr. Caldwell.

"You wait it out, again, unless the child seems to show those signs of dehydration," explained nurse practitioner Somer Delsignore, who works at Bambini Pediatrics in Poughkeepsie. "So not peeing every four hours, and no tears, and maybe a little lethargic, you know that's when you want to see your provider."

One in 14 Americans get it each year, resulting in 91,000 emergency room visits according to the CDC. You can get sick by having direct contact with someone ill, by eating tainted food, or by touching your mouth after touching a contaminated surface.

"Make sure you're eating healthy, taking vitamins, you know vitamin C, vitamin D, but the biggest factor in prevention is hand washing," said Delsignore.

"Sing the song ‘happy birthday to you,’ twice," urged Dr. Caldwell who said hand washing should last at least 20 seconds. "And you need warm water and you need to lather up your hands and really give a vigorous scrub."