Summary:
The number of people falling ill with a vomiting bug in England has risen by more than 50% in a month.

Full article:
As many as 142,000 people have been struck down with norovirus, the so-called ‘winter vomiting bug’, over the summer months, official figures show. Outbreaks led to 17 hospital ward closures in August, many of which were in areas popular with tourists such as the South West and Yorkshire. In July and August there were 493 laboratory-confirmed cases, compared to an average of 324, Public Health England said. Scroll down for video . As many as 142,000 people may have been struck down with the winter vomiting bug in August (file pic) But experts estimate that for every confirmed case there were a further 288 unconfirmed incidences, meaning that there could have been about 142,000 cases across England during the summer holidays. The latest data for the last week of August suggests that cases are rising fast, although experts said they could subside of their own accord. Norovirus, is the most common stomach bug in the UK and is highly contagious. It can affect people of all ages and causes vomiting and diarrhoea. There's no specific cure for norovirus but is usually mild and shouldn't last more than a couple of days. The period from when the nfection begins to when symptoms begin to show (the incubation period) usually lasts between 12 and 48 hours.