Las Vegas is currently dealing with several circulating illnesses typical of respiratory season, with influenza being the most prominent threat. Nevada’s respiratory illness activity level is rated as moderate by state health officials, and the Southern Nevada Health District has tracked 647 confirmed flu cases and 19 flu-related deaths in Clark County since the fall surveillance period began. Norovirus and seasonal allergies are also contributing to the wave of sickness residents and visitors are experiencing.
Influenza Is the Biggest Driver Right Now
Flu is the illness most likely to be “going around” if you or people near you are getting sick in the Las Vegas valley. Clark County has reported 640 flu-related hospitalizations this season, with Influenza A accounting for the vast majority of cases. Influenza B is circulating too, though at lower levels, with about 71 confirmed cases compared to over 570 for Influenza A strains combined.
Symptoms of flu hit fast: fever, body aches, chills, sore throat, and fatigue that can knock you out for a week or more. If you’re in a crowded environment like a casino, convention center, or airport, your exposure risk goes up significantly. Las Vegas draws millions of visitors from around the world, which means flu strains circulate more freely here than in less transient cities.
COVID-19 Is Still Around, but at Lower Levels
SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t disappeared from the valley, though wastewater surveillance from UNLV’s EMPOWER program shows viral concentrations are currently too low to identify specific circulating variants. That’s a positive sign compared to past surges, but it doesn’t mean COVID is gone. It can still cause the same familiar symptoms: sore throat, congestion, fatigue, fever, and sometimes loss of taste or smell. If you’re feeling sick and a flu test comes back negative, COVID is worth testing for, especially since both illnesses respond better to treatment when caught early.
Norovirus Cases Have Been Climbing
If what’s “going around” in your household involves vomiting and diarrhea rather than coughs and congestion, norovirus is a strong possibility. The Southern Nevada Health District flagged an increase in norovirus detected in community wastewater starting in late 2024, and this stomach bug tends to persist through the cooler months.
Norovirus spreads incredibly easily through contaminated food, surfaces, and close contact with an infected person. It’s sometimes called “stomach flu,” but it has nothing to do with influenza. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Most people recover in one to three days, but dehydration is the main risk, particularly for young children and older adults. In a city built around buffets, shared spaces, and hotel rooms cleaned on tight turnarounds, norovirus finds plenty of opportunity to spread.
Seasonal Allergies Can Mimic a Cold
Not everything that feels like sickness is an infection. Las Vegas has its own allergy season, and if your symptoms lean more toward sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and scratchy throat without a fever, pollen or dust may be the culprit. UNLV runs a pollen monitoring program for Clark County that tracks local allergen levels on a scale from absent to very high. When levels hit moderate or above, most people with any pollen sensitivity will notice symptoms.
The desert climate also means dust and dry air can irritate your respiratory tract on their own, especially if you’ve just arrived from a more humid environment. Visitors often mistake allergy symptoms or dry-air irritation for catching something on the plane.
Other Illnesses on the Health District’s Radar
Beyond the main respiratory and stomach bugs, the Southern Nevada Health District has issued advisories for a few other concerns in the region. Multiple cases of Legionnaires’ disease linked to hotels in Clark County were reported in 2025, including cases tied to properties in Laughlin. Legionnaires’ is a serious form of pneumonia caused by bacteria that grow in water systems like cooling towers and hot tubs. It’s not spread person to person, but it can cause high fever, cough, shortness of breath, and muscle aches that require medical treatment.
West Nile virus is also a known seasonal issue in Clark County. Health officials flagged a high rate of West Nile-positive mosquitoes in the area during summer months. Most people infected with West Nile never develop symptoms, but a small percentage experience fever, headache, and body aches, and rare cases can become severe.
How to Protect Yourself
If you’re trying to avoid getting sick in Las Vegas, the basics matter more than anything: wash your hands frequently (especially before eating and after touching shared surfaces like slot machines, elevator buttons, and handrails), stay home or in your hotel room if you’re symptomatic, and keep hydrated in the dry desert air.
For flu and COVID specifically, updated vaccines are available at pharmacies throughout the valley. You can search by ZIP code at vaccines.gov to find locations near you. Flu antivirals and COVID treatments both work best when started within the first 48 hours of symptoms, so getting tested quickly makes a meaningful difference in how sick you get and how long it lasts.
For norovirus, hand sanitizer alone isn’t enough. Alcohol-based sanitizers don’t kill norovirus effectively. Soap and water is the only reliable option. If someone in your household or hotel room has been sick with vomiting or diarrhea, cleaning contaminated surfaces with a bleach-based solution is the most effective way to prevent it from spreading.