| Earlier this month, I was on a skiing holiday in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. On arrival at the hotel, I was warned by a member of staff that the facility had suffered from a large outbreak of infectious gastroenteritis the previous week. But the place has been sanitized thoroughly, I was assured, and hotel staff sprayed guests' hands with alcohol when entering restaurants. I was surprised because I had heard the infection was spreading around Christmas and New Year. So I did some quick research and I found out the infection wave for the season was hitting weeks later than it usually does and the illness was sweeping across Japan at the highest level in a decade for the months of February and March, an unusually late time of the year, according to National Infectious Diseases data. One key pathogen that has caused gastroenteritis is norovirus. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation in the stomach, intestine and causes symptoms like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Infectious gastroenteritis is the most common type, caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites and most of the time it goes away by itself. There were several reasons behind the surge, local media reported. The spread of new norovirus strains, people's weakened immune systems due to the Covid pandemic and the extreme swings in temperatures this winter were among the culprits, according to experts. Unpredictable hot and cold weather means people can't adjust to the changing temperatures fast enough, thus weakening their immune systems and leaving them more vulnerable to illnesses. The weather in Japan has been particularly difficult to forecast this year. Heavy snowfall in many areas across the country has disrupted traffic and caused airport closures, delaying deliveries. Just last week, Tokyo experienced rare snowfall and temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius in the same week. The heavy snowfall has brought more tourists to Japan, raising the risk of infections. The number of visitors to Japan jumped 17% from a year earlier to a record 3.3 million people last month, driven by the Lunar New Year holidays and demand for snow among Australians and Americans, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Hong Kong's health authorities have warned people planning to travel to Japan about the increased risk of infectious gastroenteritis, urging them to watch what they eat. Local governments across the country, including in Miyagi, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are fending off outbreaks in elderly and childcare facilities. Officials have warned citizens to be cautious, reminding people to wash their hands with soap and running water before eating food and to heat food thoroughly. A few days after I enjoyed skiing with my family, my children began showing symptoms and I followed soon after. I had a fun winter but it was a bitter sweet surprise to end it with a stomach bug. — Kanoko Matsuyama | 
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