Norovirus Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Norovirus Blog

A norovirus outbreak, also known as the cruise ship virus, has forced the Mississippi Queen to cancel an upcoming cruise and end others short. Please click here for the full article:

In an unusually virulent outbreak of Norovirus, Majestic America Line's Mississippi Queen has prematurely ended two different cruises -- and cancelled another outright -- over the past few weeks. In the first instance, during the voyage that departed October 18, some 20 percent of the vessel's 528 passengers and crew were reporting symptoms -- nausea, vomiting, mild fever and diarrhea. The cruise line wound up ending the seven-night Cincinnati to St. Louis trip two days early.

One passenger's symptoms were severe enough to require hospitalization. The rest were housed in a Cape Girardeau hotel, and, in an attempt to nip the virus in the bud, were asked to stay in their rooms (though a spokeswoman for the cruise line said, most vociferously, that they were not 'quarantined'). Majestic America then helped make travel arrangements for the passengers to return home.

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As of October 25, it has been reported that at least 175 students and faculty members have contracted the norovirus at the College of William and Mary:

Students told the station that they feel nervous about the outbreak: 'I know a lot of people who have come down with the virus. I'm hoping I don't get it. It sounds pretty nasty,' said Andrew Howell, who has several sick friends.

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There have been two confirmed cases of norovirus in Davenport, Iowa, and many others with similar symptoms since October 18, but health officials believe that the outbreak has now subsided:

Officials say a contagious virus has been confirmed on the Isle of Capri Casino in Bettendorf -- but it appears to be subsiding after a substantial cleaning of the riverboat and its sister casino in Davenport.

The norovirus, what many think of stomach flu, causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping.

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The Bellingham Herald has reported a norovirus outbreak hit an elementary school in Ferndale, Washington, on Tuesday. Please click here for more information:

An outbreak of gastroenteritis at Eagleridge Elementary School in Ferndale has the school district asking parents to keep their children home from school today in hopes of stopping the spread of the stomach illness.

Many students began vomiting and feeling feverish Tuesday night and Wednesday, according to a press release from the district issued Wednesday night. No number of victims was available.

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The Associated Press has reported that there has been a norovirus outbreak at the College of William and Mary in Virginia:

Officials say more than 150 students at the Williamsburg school have sought treatment for flulike symptoms associated with a highly contagious norovirus.

The flulike illness broke out over the weekend, prompting 36 students to seek treatment by Monday evening for symptoms that included nausea, diarrhea, fever and an elevated white-cell count. School spokesman Brian Whitson says more than 100 students reported to the student health center on Tuesday with similar symptoms. He says some new cases were reported yesterday, but he believes the outbreak has peaked.

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There has been a norovirus outbreak at Sacred Heart hospital in Wisconsin which has afftected 44 people to date:

Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire says nine of its patients and 35 of its staff have shown symptoms of a stomach-flu-like virus.

The hospital says it has followed protocol to make sure that virus doesn't spread. Sacred Heart Hospital Director of Communications John Ganahl says as of last Monday, the hospital has stopped admitting new patients to its fourth floor--the behavioral health floor.

Ganahl says the staff and patients with the virus have Norovirus which is like the stomach flu but it is not related to the flu which is a respiratory virus.

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The Dalles Chronicle has reported an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in Wasco County:

"‘We’re aware of 76 cases, mostly at Flagstone and Columbia Basin,’ said Allyson Smith of the Wasco-Sherman Public Health Department, who said there had also been some cases at the Oregon State Veterans’ Home.

‘The earliest case we know was on Oct. 10,’ she said. ‘We won’t know what the source is until early next week, but the symptoms are consistent with norovirus.’     Results from the Oregon State Health Laboratory will probably be available by Tuesday, she said.  

According to a handout from the health department, norovirus, also known as Norwalk virus, is a general term for a family of viruses that cause the ‘stomach flu’ or gastrointestinal illness. It should not be confused with the influenza, which is the respiratory illness that people can be immunized against.

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Here's a health advisory regarding the recent norovirus outbreaks at Mount Allison University and St. Francis Xavier University:

"As most members of our campus community are aware, Mount Allison University dealt with an outbreak of the Norwalk virus last week, and St. Francis Xavier University is currently dealing with a suspected Norwalk-like virus on campus.

As of noon today, there were no reported cases of anyone at UPEI showing symptoms of this virus.

UPEI is being proactive in trying to avoid an outbreak here. Health and Student Services representatives have met with PEI’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Lamont Sweet to discuss appropriate precautionary steps. Measures already implemented include an awareness campaign in the student residences, extra cleaning in key areas, and new hand sanitizing stations at entrances to the Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall."

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Interesting article from The Chronicle Herald about the outbreak of Norovirus at two Canadian Universities. If these outbreaks are connected, it shows just how quickly the norovirus can spread:

Dr. Shelly Sarwal, a provincial medical officer, said the Health Department is fairly sure an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea that has affected 35 people at St. F.X. was caused by a norovirus that originated at Mount A.

"We don’t have lab confirmation from the St. F.X. students yet but it looks like norovirus because we have so many people ill suddenly," Dr. Sarwal said.

"It is a fairly common infection. My understanding from St. F.X. is that a few of their students were at Mount Allison last week."

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Two weeks before the norovirus outbreak at Mount Allison Univeristy, there was a norovirus outbreak at the Univeristy of Alberta that left 130 students ill. The Canadian University Press reports more on the Mount Allison outbreak:

In the first 48 hours, the disease infected approximately 90 students - 39 went to Sackville Memorial Hospital for medical treatment - out of a total student body of approximately 2,070.  That was the morning of Oct. 12. By the following afternoon, the university was closed, and all events were cancelled.

  

 By Oct. 16, it had infected more than 300 students, more than 100 of in the Windsor Hall residence alone. Landon Braverman, a first-year student on the third floor of Windsor Hall, was among the first to fall ill.  He began showing symptoms late Oct. 11 and slowly watched as student after student succumbed to the illness.  

    

The following day, he said he was feeling much better and returned to his residence, where he slept for the following 12 hours.  He also reported that other students experienced shortness of breath, rapid weight loss and loss of a sense of time.

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Norovirus which also hit Mount Allison University this past weekend:

St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., has temporarily closed a number of buildings and cancelled sports because of a Norwalk-type virus making the rounds. At least 35 students and staff at the university have reported symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. University officials said the sick have been given drinks to stave off dehydration and campus nurses are in contact with them twice a day.

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It has been reported that a Norovirus outbreak has hit Mount Allison University in Canada. Health officials are still uncertain of the source of the outbreak:

Mount Allison University in N.B. reports that due to a recent outbreak of gastroenteritis (sometimes also called stomach flu), it has been asked by the New Brunswick Department of Health to cancel all classes and extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. The dining hall, all academic buildings and residences, and the library will remain open. The athletics center, the fitness center, and all other public buildings, including the Owens, are closed at present time. The university has suspended access to the facility by community groups or organizations.

A number of students have been affected by what is believed to be a Norwalk-type virus (presently called Norovirus), but test results are still pending. The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults. Most people with Norovirus illness have both of these symptoms.

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Here are some lessons on norovirus infections and some precautions to take in order to avoid becoming ill.

"You probably have never heard of the term Norovirus Infection, but it actually comes from contaminated food and water. It is especially important that you learn about this type of infection since there have currently been so many warning about contaminated food lately. The Norovirus Infection is actually one of the causes of acute gastroenteritis. Some of the symptoms that can occur with this virus are vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, dehydration and in most cases diarrhea. This is just one of the reasons why you should pay attention whenever there is any type of warning about contained food."

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Officials say norovirus caused illnesses at Beach school Although they have not found the source of the outbreak, Virginia beach's health director, Venita Newby-Owens, stated:

"It is typically spread by poor hand- washing, poor hygiene techniques." If a person sick with a norovirus touches a surface, the virus can survive for as long as 12 days, she said. Anyone who touches the same surface and then touches his or her mouth could get sick."

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norovirus outbreak in Virginia last week:

"A norovirus caused the gastrointestinal illness which swept through College Park Elementary School in Va. Beach last week, making more than 180 people sick. However, health department officials said Wednesday they don't know yet how students and staff were exposed."

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11/10/2006
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=105356

There is another outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus at Christchurch Hospital.

Around 20 cases of the tummy bug were recorded at Christchurch and Princess Margaret Hospital in June. Christchurch Hospital is again recording numbers of people coming in with the virus and a ward was closed over the weekend because of the infection. Spokeswoman Michelle Hider says about seven patients and 10 staff were affected.

Norovirus is characterised by its rapid onset when exposed to an infected person, food or environment, but illness lasts only about 24 hours. Symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever and headaches.

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By Satish Cheney

Channel NewsAsia

05 October 2006
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/234102/1/.html
Investigations have found that the recent food poisoning outbreak at Ang Mo Kio Secondary School was due mainly to gastric flu.

More than 200 students had fallen ill between September 25 and 28, and one pupil was hospitalised.

The Health Ministry said Norovirus was found in the stools of five food handlers at the school.

It believed the infection must have spread through the school canteen as food items could easily become contaminated.

The Ministry reminds the public to adopt food hygiene practices at all times and to see a doctor promptly if there are symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting

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Capital Health will keep monitoring Lister as long as students are falling ill
Scott Lilwall
http://www.gateway.ualberta.ca/view.php?aid=6611

Several new cases of norovirus have been reported from within Lister Hall since Monday evening, extending the precautionary measures taken at the residence for at least another 48 hours.

Michael Janz, President of the Lister Hall Students’ Association, said the residence learned of the other cases during the daily reports that have been prepared by the building’s floor coordinators since the outbreak began. While he didn’t know the exact number of new cases since Monday, he stated that it was under 14.

Because of the new cases, Capital Health will continue to oversee Lister, and precautions to prevent further spread of the disease—such as individually served meals and the cancellation of group activities—will remain.

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http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=5497764&nav=3YeX

(Hamden-WTNH, Oct. 4, 2006 4:55 PM) - Dozens of people who live in a Hamden retirement community are on the mend tonight.

This after a nasty stomach bug swept through their facility.

More than 125 people who live in the Whitney Center and about a dozen staff members have gotten sick over the past ten days or so.

A few even had to go to the hospital but everybody is expected to make a full recovery.

Tests have confirmed that a highly contagious noro-virus is to blame.

The Whitney Center has shut down some of the facility's common areas to try to keep the virus from spreading any further.

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29.sep.06
Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle)
Clay Holtzman

For 13 years, Seattle attorney William Marler has made a name for himself as the E. coli lawyer. Food service companies, vendors and manufacturers fear him like bacteria fear penicillin. Marler was quoted as saying, "I hope so. We're really good at what we do."
The six-lawyer practice of Marler and Clark LLP specializes in suing producers and manufacturers accused of selling tainted food products. Its clients have received combined settlements and verdicts of more than $250 million. That includes the famous 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli case in Washington state.
Today Marler is tracking the nationwide outbreak of E. coli illnesses tied to bagged spinach. The outbreak has been linked to 183 illnesses in 26 states, according to The Wall Street Journal, including at least one death. Marler is representing 81 of those, including, he says, two deaths that have yet to be announced.

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Saturday, September 30, 2006
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
AP MEDICAL WRITER

Lettuce crops are see in Salinas, Calif. on Monday, Sept. 18, 2006. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, FILE)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite the recent E. coli spinach outbreak, food may be safer now than at any other time in the last decade, with illness occurring at record-low rates, new federal statistics show.

Consumers get part of the credit, for handling food more safely at home, but experts say the biggest improvement came from better industry controls and inspections.

"The food is actually cleaner to begin with," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, top food scientist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Certain germs have dramatically declined, and "that to me is really solid progress."

However, the trend could reverse in coming years if fruit and vegetable growers do not address problems like those that led to the spinach scare, Tauxe and others said.

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