Norovirus Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Norovirus Blog

Brits call it "the vomiting bug" and they are getting ready for its return, reports the UK's Daily Star.   Last winter’s epidemic saw an estimated 200,000 people a week struck down by the norovirus.   Now, between  doing its  best to keep the soft porn  business  alive,  the  Daily Star is doing its best to  prepare  folks  for  still more norovirus.   It  reports:

The winter vomiting bug that caused chaos earlier this year is set for a terrifying comeback.  Health experts fear the norovirus will once again hit hundreds of thousands of Brits.

Already, hospital wards in Worcestershire have been closed amid signs that the sickness and diarrhoea bug has claimed a wave of new victims.

NHS Direct has been advising people to treat the bug with an anti-diarrhoea treatment such as Imodium as well as drinking plenty of fluids. Experts warn the elderly are particularly at risk and recommend staying at home to avoid spreading the bug.

 

For more, go here.

 

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Food prepared at the East Greenwich Gourmet between July 30th and Aug. 1st should be tossed because it might be contaminated with Norovirus.

Rhode Island public health officials discovered the problem when every other guest at a weekend event serving East Greenwich Gourmet foods got sick.

In other Norovirus news, the New York Department of Health issued an advisory to camp directors and medical staff about the spread of the bug through the state's many summer camps.

And in Minnesota, 20 people who attended a Rochester an Aug. 1 wedding reception became ill after "eating tortilla chips contaminated with norovirus, possibly from fecal matter."

Oh Boy!

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Noroviruses are estimated to cause 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis (commonly called the "stomach flu") in the U.S. each year, and are the leading cause of gastroenteritis. Of viruses, only the common cold is reported more often than viral gastroenteritis (norovirus).

Noroviruses may cause more outbreaks of foodborne illness than all bacteria and parasites. They can cause extended outbreaks because of their high infectivity, persistence in the environment, resistance to common disinfectants, and difficulty in controlling their transmission through routine sanitary measures.

The norovirus is transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route and fewer than 100 norovirus particles are said to be needed to cause infection. Transmission occurs either person-to-person or through contamination of food or water. Transmission can occur by touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then placing that hand in your mouth; having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms; sharing foods or eating utensils with someone who is ill; exposure to aerosolized vomit; and consuming food contaminated by an infected food handler.

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Do you think it's possible that some British tourist decided the best way to get away from the norovirus outbreak would be to check into a nice Florida beach hotel? 

If that traveler exists, then just think about all those other unlucky guests at the Hilton Singer Island Resort in Riviera Beach, Florida where 83 people have been struck by the norovirus.  Here's what the Associated Press reports:

Health officials have identified a highly contagious virus as the cause of an outbreak that sickened at least 83 people at a beachfront resort hotel.

Guests and employees at the Hilton Singer Island Resort first reported the flu-like symptoms on Jan. 10.

Health officials were called in after three people were hospitalized.

Test results confirm that the outbreak was norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, cramps and other symptoms, officials said.

"It spreads easily and quickly," said Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Health Department. "We've asked them to completely disinfect everything."

AP's complete report is found here.     Also, Bill Marler gives some legal insights  here.

Bill says showing how the virus is transmitted is hard.  He asks:  "Was it foodborne?  Was it an ill worker?  Ill patron?"

 

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We recently were contacted by a woman who posted about her cruising experience on her blog, The Savvy Old Lady's Cruising & Travel Tips.  Here is an excerpt of her blog post about a recent cruise trip she took. 

For the next three days countless PA announcements, many by the Captain himself, were made, especially at meal times, about the necessity of washing your hands before each meal. Necessary, yes, but somehow a little disconcerting when you were eating your lunch and listening to someone talking on the PA about the symptoms of Norovirus and Norwalk like virus, namely diarrhea and vomiting. There were many areas that were closed for at least three to four days or the entire cruise. They included part of the Windjammer, the twenty-four hour pizza, sandwich and desert bar. Some areas, such as Johnny Rockets, a wonderful hamburger and milk shake restaurant and the arcade (there was a special concern about children and teens and hand washing) were close for the entire voyage. Passengers were not permitted to remove food from the Windjammer or dining rooms so we could not eat on the open decks or bring food to our rooms (room service did operate normally though after the second day). We were told the reason for this was so the crew would know where all the food was going. Well big surprise all the revenue center food and beverage outlets (coffee shop, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop and the bars) on board permitted you to take food out. Hmmm, doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines was losing money on this cruise and I suppose that they had to make the revenue up for it somewhere.

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Every health department should follow in the foot steps of Kalamazoo County.  Noroviruses are estimated to cause 23 million cases of gastroenteritis in the U.S. per year. Full Story

KALAMAZOO -- Health officials say it spreads easily from person to person, but it can be prevented.

Thursday, Kalamazoo County Health and Community Service Department officials will hold a symposium to teach long-term and institutional care providers how Norovirus is spread and how to prevent it.

Last year, there were 145 Norovirus outbreaks in the State of Michigan.

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Full Story from Craig Huckerby at Soonews.ca

Onatario, Canada - A source to SooNews.ca reported that a three year old girl from Dubreuilville died from the Norovirus at the Lady Dunn Hospital in Wawa last weekend.

According to one source "many many kids in Dubreuilville have been sick" The children are being transported to the Wawa Hospital for treatment.

Dr. Allan Northan from the Algoma Public Health, would not confirm or deny the death in Wawa. No one from Lady Dunn Hospital in Wawa will confirm this news or wished to comment on this case.

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Stephen Smith of the Boston Globe Staff wrote:

Boston health officials reported today that their review of an ongoing outbreak of gastrointestinal illness at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center shows that 241 patients and 151 staff members have fallen ill since Feb. 21.

Those figures are substantially higher than Friday, when the Boston Public Health Commission last released figures on the outbreak at the Roslindale facility. Then, 225 patients and 119 staff were listed as having experienced nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea -- classic symptoms of norovirus, the infection that has sickened tens of thousands in New England and across the country this winter.

But Tom Lyons, spokesman for the Boston health agency, cautioned that the latest numbers, which indicate a total of 392 people have become ill, do not necessarily reflect a burst of new infections. Instead, the city's investigation is identifying people who became sick earlier in the outbreak but who weren't included in the count.

In the past day, only three new cases have been recorded, Lyons said. Still, he said, city disease trackers are reluctant to declare that the outbreak is trailing off until there have been several additional days when few if any additional infections are reported.

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A stomach illness suspected to be the highly contagious norovirus has sickened at least 100 people who took part in a regional dance competition last weekend, health officials said Wednesday.  Norovirus, also called the Norwalk virus, causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, and can lead to more serious illnesses in the elderly and infirm. Billings suffered a community-wide outbreak last year, and several nursing homes were struck with the disease earlier this winter.  "It's still early in our investigation. We don't know exactly what we're dealing with yet," said Barbara Schneeman, spokeswoman for the Yellowstone City-County Health Department.  Schneeman said most of those reporting symptoms took part in or attended the Spotlight Dance Cup Regional Dance, held March 9-11 at the Billings Holiday Inn.

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According to WAFF News - Outbreaks of norovirus are popping up everywhere

The height of flu season is upon us, but this year, there's another illness that's grabbing the spotlight. Outbreaks of norovirus, the nasty group of stomach bugs that get attention when they hit a cruise ship, are showing up everywhere. It closed a Washington hotel and is popping up on college campuses and in communities across the US.

"It's epidemic proportions in many places in the country unfortunately," says Eliana Perrin, MD, University of North Carolina Pediatrician.

It is norovirus. A group of bugs most people know as the stomach flu. Perrin has seen a number of cases. "I've actually seen it more as a parent. I've seen some children in our daycare. They're affected, their families are affected, everybody is sick."

Across campus, Scientist Ralph Baric runs a norovirus lab. He says this year's rampant outbreaks are linked to a strain called G24 that first emerged about a decade ago. "It's been changing every year this year seems to be particularly hot," says Baric.

It's causing a menu of stomach woes that often appear within 18 hours of exposure to the highly contagious virus. "Symptoms end about 48 hours later." People can still spread norovirus for weeks after the symptoms are gone and so can some people who never have symptoms. "About 30 percent of people we've done hematology studies with can be infected but don't actually become severely affected with clinical disease," says Baric. "Do the best you can with hand washing particularly after diapering a child," says Perrin.

More reason to keep washing those hands.

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At Least 124 Sickened

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- At least 124 students have been sickened in a suspected norovirus outbreak at a New Jersey college.

A spokesman at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Florham Park campus said students began falling ill Thursday. He said an undetermined number of faculty and staff members also have been sickened.

Crews are cleaning dormitory bathrooms and dining halls. The recreation center and pool were shut down for 24 hours for cleaning. Hand sanitizer is being distributed at the library, computer labs and the dining hall. Also, students are being urged to wash their sheets in hot water.

The 24-hour virus is spread person-to-person and causes flu-like systems including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Florham Park health officials say test results later this week should confirm the cause of the outbreak. There are about 3,700 students on campus.

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - HOUSTON

The Food and Drug Administration says consumers should avoid eating raw oysters harvested from San Antonio Bay in Texas because more than two dozen people in Maryland became ill last month.

The FDA said 25 people developed nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms after eating raw Texas oysters at a food event in Maryland during Feb. 9-11.

Testing by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene indicated they had contracted norovirus, the FDA said. The virus can cause flu-like symptoms that may linger for several days.

The oyster beds in San Antonio Bay were shut down by the Texas Department of Health Services on Feb. 24 and remain closed while the FDA investigates.

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Another major norovirus outbreak forced Richmond's overcrowded jail to quarantine hundreds of inmates. And the nasty stomach bug may also have hit doz- ens of students and staff members at three Henrico County schools.

The jail quarantine, imposed yesterday afternoon, affects 271 men in the jail's G Building, said Richmond Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Tara Dunlop. It will last until at least Friday, when the jail's doctor will decide whether the outbreak has passed.

Henrico school officials said students and staff at Shady Grove Elementary School and Highland Springs and Deep Run high schools started showing signs of the illness this month. In Hanover County, officials report four confirmed cases of norovirus.

Norovirus causes vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

Keep reading here.

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WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. -- No visitors are allowed in and no patients are allowed out of a Westmoreland nursing home Tuesday that has residents and workers who have been infected with a highly contagious virus.

The Health Department said a strain of norovirus has made its way to Bethlen Nursing Home in Ligonier and has sickened half of the residents and staff, bringing the total number close to 85.

The nursing home said it's doing all it can to stop it from spreading.

Keep reading here

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A resident of the Quakertown Center in Quakertown tested positive last week for a highly contagious stomach virus that sometimes affects cruise ships.

Read more here

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Hundreds of Boston residents and some Boston University students who ended up in the emergency room with the norovirus this winter may take comfort in a recent research breakthrough that may help prevent them from getting infected next year.

The first isolated lab culture of the norovirus human strain, often responsible for causing stomach flu, was produced by researchers from Arizona University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Tulane University and the University of Arizona. The project, published this month in the Centers for Disease Control's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, came after 30 years of failed attempts to isolate the virus.

Timothy Straub, lead researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said the research could eventually lead to a vaccine similar to a typical flu shot.

"[The new methods] may provide this critical link in developing new treatments and vaccines," he said.

Keep reading here

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As an emergency room doctor at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Frank McGeorge has treated countless cases of norovirus, the stomach virus notorious for canceling cruise ship vacations.

But McGeorge has also suffered the highly contagious illness, which can make patients agonizingly nauseous, he said.

"Norovirus is incredibly distressing to people," McGeorge said. "And from a medical standpoint, there's nothing we can do to treat it, except fluids, anti-nausea medicine and time."

McGeorge and other physicians in Metro Detroit and across the state are dealing with more reports of norovirus outbreaks at nursing homes, restaurants, schools and other public places, health officials say.

Last year, 144 norovirus outbreaks were reported in Michigan -- a 323 percent jump from the 34 reported in 2005, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. This year, 41 outbreaks already have been reported, the agency said.

Keep reading here

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Rhode Island is experiencing a general increase in cases of norovirus - a category of diseases similar to the stomach flu - but the University has not been affected.

The Rhode Island Department of Health uses syndromic surveillance to monitor the number of norovirus cases, tracking changes in levels of reported cases instead of counting individual cases. "There are reporting mechanisms in place with schools, nursing homes and emergency (medical) departments," said Annemarie Beardsworth, spokeswoman for the department. "They report back to the DOH an increase in the number of cases - they give a general summary."

"All those systems that report back to the DOH are seeing increased cases of norovirus at the same time," she added. "Normally what we expect at this time of year is a small cluster of an increase. What is significant this year is all those segments are reporting an increase at the same time."

keep reading here

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Virginia Department of Health officials say there have been 130 norovirus outbreaks throughout the state since Nov. 1.

That includes 40 outbreaks in the central Virginia region. About 70 percent of the outbreaks have been in long-term care facilities. The highly contagious gastrointestinal illness causes diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps.

Two Richmond-area facilities -- Lakewood Manor retirement community and Beaufont Towers -- are recovering from outbreaks and expect to remove visitation restrictions soon.

The Hermitage, a retirement community on Westwood Avenue in Richmond, was not allowing visitors at its health-care center yesterday because of illness among residents, but staff did not yet have a confirmation of norovirus.

keep reading here

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More people than ever are becoming sick with the norovirus here in Michigan. The State Department of Community Health says 145 outbreaks were reported in Michigan in 2006. That's about four times the amount reported in all of 2005 when there were only 36 cases, and we could be on another record-breaking pace this year.

After only a month and a half into 2007, 37 outbreaks have already been reported. Local health agencies are working to prevent the spread of this virus. Health experts at Michigan State University say those numbers may still be on the low side.

Dr. Dele Davies, Pediatrics and Human Development at MSU: "We know for sure there are more people with the disease than what actually gets reported."

keep reading here

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The highly contagious virus that infected at least 190 people at North Myrtle Beach Elementary has been identified as a norovirus, an illness most people know from its cruise ship outbreaks.

Nearly 200 students and staff members stayed home sick on Friday, and the school will remained closed for most of this week for a thorough cleaning.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced the finding Sunday after analyzing stool samples from people who were infected.

Department spokesman Thom Berry said people often hear of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships. There haven't been recent outbreaks in any other S.C. schools, but some were reported this year at several nursing homes and residential care facilities in the Upstate, he said.

Keep reading here

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Michael Bates from the Hernando Today has reported that there has been a possible norovirus outbreak at Mallie Kyla's cafe in Brooksville, Florida.  Full story

BROOKSVILLE — A nasty outbreak of possible food poisoning hit at least 30 people and grounded several county staffers and government officials this past weekend after they attended a public workshop last Friday.

It is unclear how many residents who attended the workshop were affected.

County Health Department Environmental Manager Al Gray suspects the victims were hit with Norovirus, a food-borne illness that is highly contagious and can be spread by human contact.

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Commentary from the Associated Press

Three people have been hospitalized and more than 300 people claim they became ill after eating at an Olive Garden restaurant last weekend, a health official said Friday.

Also, six restaurant workers reported on Monday that they were feeling ill, said Marion County Health Department spokesman John Althardt. Olive Garden is based in Orlando.

"We're trying to isolate what the cause of the illness might be," he said.

The problem has been isolated to the Olive Garden on East 82nd Street on Indianapolis' north side, Althardt said.

Health officials have found no link to E. coli bacteria that sickened patrons at East Coast Taco Bell restaurants recently, Althardt said.

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Commentary By Madonna McDermott
Director, Student Health Service and Wellness Center

Full Story from the Bulletin Today at the University of St. Thomas

The University of St. Thomas Student Health Service reports many students with suspected norovirus infections.

This infection is often mistakenly referred to as the “stomach flu"; it is not related to the flu (influenza), which is a respiratory illness caused by influenza virus.

Noroviruses are members of a group of viruses called caliciviruses, also known previously as “Norwalk-like viruses.” Norovirus infection causes gastroenteritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach and the small and large intestines.

 

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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."

Technorati Tags: Norovirus

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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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Weld County, Colorado

September 26, 2006

Norovirus:

« Is commonly referred to as the cruise-ship virus or the 24-hour stomach flu.

« Commonly described symptoms are explosive vomiting and diarrhea.

« Can be an air-borne illness or food-borne illness.

« Is linked to an estimated 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis and more than 50 percent of food-borne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

« Is passed through food by poor hand-washing, not improper cold and hot holding of foods. The use of gloves or suitable utensils (tongs, spatulas, etc.) is recommended to prevent unnecessary bare-hand contact with food. Good hand washing involves using soap and water and washing for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizers may only be used in addition to good hand washing.

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Friday • September 22, 2006

About 100 high-school students in Austria are in hospital with severe stomach flu following an outbreak blamed on a virulent strain of norovirus, according to local medical authorities cited Friday by the APA news agency.

The students and one teacher at a commerce school in the town of Eisenstadt were struck Thursday afternoon by intense bouts of vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps, and were treated in eight different hospitals in the region.

Authorities have traced the outbreak to roast chicken served in the school cafeteria, but have excluded salmonella -- at first thought to be the culprit -- as the cause.

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By Stephanie Dunnewind
Seattle Times staff reporter
California organic-food company linked to widespread E. coli scare

With the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning about the link between the E. coli outbreak and bagged spinach, consumers may start to wonder about the safety of everything in their refrigerator produce drawer. Here are answers to some questions that might arise.

Q: Can I just wash bagged spinach?

A: No. The bacteria are too tightly attached. "If you wash it, it is not going to get rid of it," Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told The Associated Press. The safest thing is to toss it out.

Q: So, what about unpackaged spinach?

A: The FDA's warning applies only to bagged spinach.

Nationwide, many groceries are pulling all packaged spinach and salad mixes containing spinach from the shelves. Whole Foods Market is temporarily removing all fresh spinach — bagged or otherwise — "just to be on the safe side," said spokeswoman Ashley Hawkins.

At Seattle-area farmers markets, farmers will still sell their locally grown spinach and answer any consumer questions, said Karen Kinney, associate director of the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.

Q: How are vegetables and fruits contaminated?

A: In other foodborne-illness outbreaks, factors included manure used as fertilizer; exposure to dirty floodwater; poor agricultural water quality; presence of animals in fields or packing areas; and the health and hygiene of workers handling produce during production, packing, distribution or preparation.
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Alamogordo Daily News
By Jeff Stevens, Assistant Editor

The residents of Mountain View Trailer Park have been without water or bathroom facilities for 10 days, and until now have suffered alone. However, the situation has lasted long enough that the unsanitary living conditions could pose a health risk for the entire community.

"The question I have is, is it possible if people are allowed to stay there, without water, could this lead to a Typhoid Mary situation," asked District 4 Commissioner Steve Brockett, whose district includes the Mountain View Trailer Park. "I'm real concerned about that."

And the answer to Brockett's question is, "yes." It is possible that conditions at Mountain View Trailer Park could pose a health risk for all of Alamogordo.
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Friday, 15th September 2006
Amanda Crook

DOCTORS and nurses could face the sack for not washing their hands at a Greater Manchester hospital.

The move at Tameside General is part of the latest efforts to tackle the deadly MRSA superbug and follows a visit from a government hit squad.

In future, staff will be legally obliged to wash their hands regularly.

MRSA experts have recommended that clinical and administration staff who regularly visit wards have `infection prevention and control responsibilities' written into their job descriptions.

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From www.about-norwalk.com

Norovirus (previously called "Norwalk-like virus” or NLV) is a member of the family Caliciviridae. The name derives from the Latin for chilice—calyx—meaning cup-like, and refers to the indentations of the virus surface.

Nature has created an ingenious bug in Norwalk. The round blue ball actually is a protein surrounding the virus's genetic material. The virus attaches to the outside of cells lining the intestine. Then it transfers its genetic material into that cell. There it reproduces, finally killing the human cell to release new copies of it that attach to more cells of the intestine's lining.

The family of Caliciviridae consists of several distinct groups of viruses that were first named after the places where outbreaks occurred. The first such outbreak occurred in 1968 among schoolchildren in Norwalk, Ohio.  The prototype strain was identified four years later, in 1972, and was the first virus identified that specifically caused gastroenteritis in humans. Id. At S255. Other discoveries followed, with each strain named based on the location of its discovery-location, e.g., Montgomery County, Snow Mountain, Mexico, Hawaii, Parmatta, Taunton, and Toronto viruses. A study published in 1977 found that the Toronto virus was the second most common cause of gastroenteritis in children.

Eventually this confusing nomenclature was resolved, first in favor of calling each of the strains a Norwalk-like virus, and then simply, a norovirus – the term used today.

Noroviruses are estimated to cause 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the United States per year, and are the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the United States.  Of viruses, only the common cold is reported more often than viral gastroenteritis (norovirus).

The norovirus is transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route and fewer than 100 norovirus particles are said to be needed to cause infection.  Transmission thus occurs either person-to-person or through contamination of food or water. Foodborne norovirus transmission often occurs when food is contaminated by an infected food handler.  The virus is shed in large numbers in the vomit and stool of infected individuals, most commonly while they are ill. Some individuals may, however, continue to shed the norovirus long after they have recovered from the illness.  Aerosolized vomit has also been impacted as a mode of norovirus transmission.

In short, and as noted by the CDC in its Final Trip Report, “[n]oroviruses can cause extended outbreaks because of their high infectivity, persistence in the environment, resistance to common disinfectants, and difficulty in controlling their transmission through routine sanitary measures.”

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Despite disinfection and inspection, nasty germs such as norovirus sometimes stow away
Sunday, September 10, 2006
KIM KUNKLE
The Oregonian

Stormy seas are known to turn the stomachs of cruise passengers, but another culprit can send passengers heaving to the rails.

The microscopic norovirus or one of its cousins does so to thousands of cruise passengers each year.

Cruise industry representatives note that most people don't get sick. The International Council of Cruise Lines reports that out of the more than 8 million North American passengers in 2005, fewer than 1 percent contracted norovirus aboard ships, compared with an estimated 8 percent of the U.S. population who contracted a virus on land.

Ships are disinfected routinely and regularly inspected by vessel sanitation experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, germs sometimes stow away, and the small bugs can have a big impact.
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http://www.microbiologynews.info/blog/73/norovirus/

Norovirus

When the word “food pathogens” is mentioned, most will people will associate it with salmonella, E.coli or listeria. Although they are true pathogens, the symptoms they produce are initially similar to a common gastro virus called the norovirus. Viruses are very different from bacteria and parasites. They are not affected by treatment with antibiotics, and they cannot grow outside of a person’s body.

You see, the norovirus is a very common virus that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people also 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. The illness is usually brief, with symptoms lasting only about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than do adults. Most people with norovirus illness experience both diarrhea and vomiting.

The main concern is that sometimes people become dehydrated due to vomiting and diarrhea and may need special medical attention. Dehydration problems are usually only seen among the very young, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

Infection with noroviruses

Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can become infected with the virus in several ways, including:

• Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus;
• Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth;
• Having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms

Persons working in day-care centers or nursing homes should pay special attention to children or residents who have norovirus illness. This virus is very contagious and can spread rapidly throughout such environments. Particular care should be taken with young children in diapers who may have diarrhea or who have vomited as both stool and vomit can carry the virus.

People infected with norovirus are contagious from the moment they begin feeling ill to at least 3 days after recovery. Some people may be contagious for as long as 2 weeks after recovery. Therefore, it is very important to use good hand washing and other hygienic practices.

Treatment for people with norovirus infection?

Currently, there is no antiviral medication that works against norovirus and there is no vaccine to prevent infection. Norovirus infection cannot be treated with antibiotics because antibiotics work to fight bacteria and not viruses.

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M Hjertqvist1 (marika.hjertqvist@smi.ki.se), A Johansson2, N Svensson2, PE Åbom3, C Magnusson 4, M Olsson2, KO Hedlund1, Y Andersson1

1Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden
2Department of Communicable Disease Control, Västra Götaland, Sweden
3Department of Communicable Disease Control, Jönköping, Sweden
4Municipality of Gnosjö, Sweden

So far in 2006, in Sweden, there have been four outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis where raspberries were the suspected vehicle of infection. The first outbreak occurred at the end of June, the second was at the beginning of August and the third and fourth at the end of August. All the outbreaks occurred in the south western part of the country. In total, 43 people became ill and all these people had eaten raspberries as part of various different dishes. Continue Reading...

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9/7/2006
By Erica Silverstein, SmarterTravel.com

Disturbing tales about cruise vacations are more common than we'd like. Numerous passengers have disappeared from cruise ships, including George Smith IV, whose family is currently suing Royal Caribbean. The Crown Princess tilted sharply on one of its first voyages, injuring dozens of guests, and the Star Princess caught on fire, destroying balconies on several decks. Last year, modern-day pirates attacked a Seabourn ship off the coast of Somalia.
All of these scary incidents lead holidaymakers to wonder: Am I safe taking a cruise vacation?

The answer is a conditional yes. In today's uncertain world, you can never be completely safe anywhere. Going on a cruise does not put you in greater peril than does any other vacation. But, the responsibility ultimately falls to you to protect yourself and your interests while onboard.

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Cleaners have been busy at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, trying to keep ahead of an outbreak of Norovirus.

By CHRIS HAMLYN
The News Bulletin
Aug 24 2006

It has been a busy couple of weeks for Dan Costello, infection, prevention and control practitioner at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

Costello, Dr. David Forrest, infection prevention and control associate director for the Vancouver Island Health Authority and staff have been dealing with a Norovirus outbreak in the hospital, trying to stay one step ahead in the cleaning process.

The suspected cause was the visit of one person to NRGH with the virus during a busy time in the emergency department.

ìThereís a high incident of this gastro-intestinal virus in the community and many people required assistance in the emergency department since early August,î said Costello.

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Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006
By CANDACE CHASE
The Daily Inter Lake

Although West Nile virus grabs more headlines, norovirus, a gastrointestinal virus, has caused a lot of discomfort across the valley this summer.

The Flathead County Health Department began a virus surveillance in mid-May, making 14 calls daily to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities valleywide. Through June 2, health officials identified 31 staff and 64 residents with norovirus symptoms.

The department counted 19 cases in its June communicable disease report to the county Board of Health.

Boni Stout, director of Community Health, said that the department still was investigating the norovirus outbreak. According to the June report, some cases were traced to outbreaks in Calgary, Canada.

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LYNDSAY MOSS
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
August 23, 2006

A RECORD number of Scots were struck down by the so-called winter vomiting bug in the first eight months of this year.

Figures from Health Protection Scotland (HPS) showed that there were 2,023 laboratory-confirmed reports of norovirus during the first 32 weeks of 2006.

This compared with 1,344 during the same period last year - a rise of 51 per cent.

HPS said this was the highest number of cases reported during the first 32 weeks of any year.

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Officials advise precautions
By CHRISTOPHER DIEM, Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE ó A recent outbreak of a norovirus-like illness in Marquette County has Marquette County Health Department officials advising residents to take precautions.

Marquette General Hospital and the health department have received increased reports of sudden nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. While a specific cause has not been determined, the symptoms and the easily contracted nature of the outbreak suggests a ìnorovirus-like illness,î according to a health department press release.

ìThe first indication we had was a call from Marquette General where they were seeing more people coming through the emergency room (with the symptoms). Some of the people coming to visit out-patients at the hospital were also exhibiting symptoms. Shortly thereafter some of the employees at the hospital got sick,î said Dr. Randall Johnson, director of the health department.

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Wednesday, 23 August 2006

People are being urged to put off visiting patients in the medical and high dependency units at Maitland Hospital this week due to an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis.

The hospital