Contaminated water in a US state is now linked to a highly infectious gastrointestinal virus that can trigger severe and sometimes fatal diarrhea. Health authorities report that stool samples and water tests have identified a pathogen described as more lethal than norovirus in vulnerable patients.

Officials say the virus spreads mainly through the fecal-oral route, with viral particles surviving in drinking water and on surfaces. The illness presents with acute watery diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, and can rapidly progress to hypovolemic shock when fluid loss is not corrected. Clinicians are warning about dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and acute kidney injury as key complications.

Epidemiological surveillance systems and polymerase chain reaction assays are being used to trace infection clusters and confirm cases. Public health agencies have advised residents in affected areas to boil tap water, increase hand hygiene and avoid preparing food for others when symptomatic. Hospitals are activating infection-control protocols, including isolation of suspected cases and reinforcement of wastewater monitoring to track viral load in the community.