Thirteen more cases of the norovirus were confirmed at the Whitehorse General Hospital over the past weekend.

Three of the gastrointestinal illness cases were found in hospital staff. The remaining 10 were in Yukoners from the general public.

It takes the total to 77 confirmed cases appearing at the hospital since Oct. 1.

Three cases were also confirmed among students at Porter Creek Secondary School last Friday.

'I would expect there are cases throughout Whitehorse,' Dr. Bryce Larke, the territory's medical health officer, said in an interview Monday. 'It is out in the community.'

Norovirus, which is a Norwalk agent, is highly contagious.

Its symptoms include nausea with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Some people also experience headache, chills, fever and muscle pain.

However, the illness usually only lasts about 24 to 48 hours.

'It's very miserable and uncomfortable for those with the illness,' said Larke. However, it is not surprising the virus, formerly known as the winter vomiting disease, is popping up at this time of year, he said.

'It's a community nuisance, but it's one of the facts of winter life,' he said.

There is no vaccine for the virus, which is different from influenza, which is more of a respiratory illness.

Larke advised those finding themselves infected with the norovirus should simply stay close to a washroom and drink plenty of clear fluids.

Yukoners should also continue to take special care to ensure they are washing their hands properly with warm, soapy water for at least 30 seconds.

The virus can be spread through the air when in proximity to infected vomiting or by consuming food or water that has come into contact with it.

Door handles and telephones can also be sources if they've recently been touched by someone with a norovirus infection.

Beyond the advice of frequent hand washing, Larke said there is little the community can do to control the virus.

There is also no way to tell how long it will take for the norovirus symptoms in Whitehorse to disappear, he said.

The illness is present globally and can be contracted all year-round, said Larke. He added he has been speaking with officials in other jurisdictions in Canada that are experiencing similar troubles.

The most recently publicized large-scale infection was at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia last month.

'We haven't seen any slow-down,' Val Pike, the hospital's spokesperson, said of the virus' presence on Monday.

It will run its course, she said, agreeing for most it will simply be a nuisance. It is among the young and elderly that there is a larger risk, because their immune systems can be more repressed.

All of the hospital's regular outpatient services continue to operate, but it is still being asked that only healthy adults visit inpatients, said Pike.

Nov. 13 is currently the date set to reopen its doors to younger visitors.

'It might be moved based on if we're still still seeing people out there with it,' said Pike.

Individuals can be contagious for up two weeks after becoming ill with norovirus.

Larke is advising employees becoming ill with it should take at least 48 hours off work after the symptoms disappear, especially if they work in health care or food handling professions.