STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s announcement of a norovirus spike, top Staten Island physicians warn that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of nausea, dehydration and general abdominal misery.

The gastrointestinal virus known as the “Winter Vomiting Disease’' can cause fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. In some cases it can lead to dangerous dehydration requiring hospitalization and treatment with intravenous fluids.

The virus is surging earlier than usual this year, the CDC says. Cases began rising in October and are now in the high category nationwide, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.

Norovirus causes 19 to 21 million illnesses, 109,000 hospitalizations, and about 900 deaths annually in the U.S., mostly

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