The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control issued a warning this week about the norovirus, a gastrointestinal illness commonly mislabeled as "stomach flu."
Symptoms include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The illness can last as long as a week.

"Normally, we just let it run its course," said Joey Deabate, a nurse practitioner at Main Street Medical on Hilton Head Island. The key to treating the symptoms, which drain your body of fluids, is to "hydrate, hydrate, hydrate," he said.

The flu vaccine does not protect against the norovirus. Prevention involves washing your hands often and avoiding sharing food and drinks, said Bev Yoder, infection prevention coordinator at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Information: www.scdhec.gov