Physical Therpy For Injuries and Pain in Union Beach, NJ

A nasty, highly contagious form of norovirus called “winter vomiting disease” is spreading across the country, including in New Jersey, according to an analysis of wastewater at six surveillance sites in the state.

Norovirus cases typically spike after Christmas and New Year’s gatherings, but the number of new cases in November showed a notable increase, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The CDC tracks norovirus through voluntary reporting from clinics and state health departments, but says such data is unreliable because most people who get it are miserable for a few days, but don’t seek medical attention or require hospitalization.

The agency doesn’t monitor viral activity in wastewater; however, data from WastewaterSCAN, an academic program through Stanford University in partnership with Emory University, shows that norovirus has been rising nationally since mid-October.

Monitoring sites in New Jersey include locations in Belmar, Bridgeton, Bridgewater, Newark, Oakhurst and Union Beach.

As of early December, the Union Beach, Belmar and Newark sites were trending upwards, while the Bridgewater, Oakhurst and Bridgeton sites were trending downwards.

The Union Beach site has so far reported the highest number of cases, while the Oakhurst site is currently reporting the lowest number of cases.

There are about 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks a year, according to the CDC. Some health experts worry that the variant GII.17, which was responsible for last year’s spike, may have mutated and become more contagious.

The GII.4 strain dominated norovirus outbreaks for more than 30 years, but last year, the GII.17 mutation was responsible for about 75 percent of outbreaks, according to the CDC.

Dr. Robert Atmar, professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told NBC News there are two possibilities: Either the virus changed to make it more transmissible, or changes in the population made more people susceptible.

“And probably it’s a combination of both,” Atmar said. “But whether it’s going to persist this year, I think, is one of the big questions in our scientific community.”

Symptoms of the GII.17 strain include forceful vomiting, intense diarrhea and stomach cramps that are especially hard on children under 5, adults over 85, and those with underlying health conditions, according to the CDC. Dehydration is a primary risk.

Because GII.17 is a new strain, people have less built-up immunity and may experience more severe illnesses.

“When new strains emerge, people are exposed to a strain that they have not previously been exposed to, and hence are more likely to get infected,” Lee-Ann Jaykus, a professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University, told Newsweek.

“Historically, new strains emerge every seven to 10 years, and we were due for one, so this is not surprising,” Jaykus said.

Vigorous hand-washing with hot water and soap and other good hygiene practices are crucial to limit the spread of norovirus.

It spreads easily, either through direct contact with someone who is sick, eating food or drinking liquids contaminated with the virus, touching contaminated surfaces, and poor hand-washing.

UNION BEACH, NJ — A Union Beach woman currently serving a 100-year prison sentence for killing her baby and her toddler, after she started a fire in the car where they were strapped into their car seats, is asking for a new trial.

A public defender for Maria Montalvo, 61, argues expert testimony the state used against her in 1994 is no longer scientifically valid.

Montalvo was found guilty of fatally burning her two young children, her son, 28 months old, and a daughter, 18 months, in 1994. This happened in Long Branch, according to a New York Times archived report. Montalvo's car burst into flames moments after she pulled into the driveway of her mother-in-law's home. Her mother-in-law testified that she saw Montalvo throw an object towards a gasoline can in the car's front seat as she got out of the car. The Monmouth County Prosecutor also said Montalvo previously bought $3 worth of gasoline before driving to Long Branch.

(She had just dropped her two older children off at school.)

Montalvo was found guilty for the two deaths.

Montalvo is represented by Tamar Lerer, from the office of the New Jersey Public Defender. This week, Lerer said Montalvo was convicted based on "bad science."

"Since Ms. Montalvo’s conviction, the scientific evidence presented in her case has been revealed to be fundamentally flawed and unsupported by current medical understanding," said Lerer Tuesday. "Both the defense and the prosecution acknowledge that it is bad science. A conviction based on bad science is not a just conviction. As scientific knowledge evolves, the justice system must evolve with it. In Ms. Montalvo’s case, that means ensuring she receives a new, fair trial grounded in valid and reliable evidence."

Last week, Montalvo's attorney asked Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O'Malley to grant a new trial, the Asbury Park Press reported. O'Malley has not reached a decision yet.

A spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor declined to comment this week, saying: "We don't feel that it would be appropriate for us to comment at this time, particularly while the judge is considering the pending matter."