More than 600,000 people are believed to have been struck down so far this year by the winter vomiting bug, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has said.
Symptoms include a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhoea, while some people may have a temperature, headache and stomach cramps.
Laboratory tests have revealed a 64% rise in the number of people with the norovirus, with 2,313 confirmed cases on December 2, compared with 1,412 at the same point last year.
But the HPA estimates there are 288 unreported cases for each confirmed one, which means 666,144 people are likely to have contracted the illness.
The agency said it was unsure why more people were suffering with the virus but added that the norovirus season was always "unpredictable".
"The norovirus season is always completely unpredictable as it peaks and falls over several months - usually October to April," said Dr Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal diseases department at the HPA.
"However, one thing we do know is that every year we will see a large amount of norovirus activity because it is highly contagious.
"The figures for the last two weeks show that there has been a reduction in the numbers of outbreaks in hospitals although there are clearly a lot of other people becoming unwell as we can see from the number of lab reports.
"We would like to remind people to avoid visiting friends or relatives in hospital or care homes if they have symptoms consistent with a norovirus infection as it can lead to ward closures and severe disruption."
The HPA last week reported an outbreak of norovirus had led to the closure of 45 hospital wards across the previous fortnight - the virus spreads rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools, nursing and residential homes.
Dr Adak added: "Norovirus is a short-lived unpleasant infection but most people will fully recover in a couple of days.
"It is important to remain hydrated as you will be losing a lot of fluids due to the symptoms. Over-the-counter medicines can also be useful in reducing headaches and other aches and pains."
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