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Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

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  • Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

    January 19, 2012

    Stomach flu cases sweep area

    Hundreds of people treated at Valley's hospitals, clinics

    By Yadira Betances ybetances@eagletribune.com
    The Eagle Tribune Thu Jan 19, 2012, 03:46 AM EST

    Hundreds of people have visited emergency rooms at area hospitals and clinics over the past month with severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever.

    Lawrence General Hospital had more than 200 cases in the past six weeks, followed by Holy Family Hospital in Methuen with 180 visits. In Haverhill, Merrimack Valley Hospital treated 120 patients with the Norovirus and Greater Lawrence Family Health Center in Lawrence reported 100 acute cases of gastroenteritis along with 20 staff members.

    It was the same gastrointestinal virus or Norovirus - also commonly known as the stomach flu - that recently limited access to the 130-patient Sutton Hill Nursing Home in North Andover at 1801 Turnpike St.

    Lawrence General Hospital officials said reported viral gastroenteritis increased significantly compared to the same time period last year.

    More...
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

  • #2
    Re: Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

    Friday, January 27, 2012

    Norovirus alert at HealthAlliance in Leominister

    By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

    LEOMINSTER ? To prevent further exposures, HealthAlliance Hospital restricted visitation to patients on one if its floors earlier this week to reduce the spread of the norovirus.

    Health professionals statewide are seeing an increase of the gastrointestinal ailment caused by the norovirus, said HealthAlliance Vice President of Care Lisa M. Colombo.

    ?HealthAlliance is very concerned about the community and the transmission and spread of this illness,? said Ms. Colombo. ?We were restricting visitors because we don?t want it to spread. It was a drastic measure worth taking to prevent big outbreaks and contain it. That is really the pathway we chose because of the high rate of people infected with the virus on the second floor of the hospital.?

    Hospital staff limited visitors and asked people not to visit for a while, she said, but visitation was allowed in certain circumstances under appropriate conditions.

    ?There is a high rate of people coming into us with it,? she said. ?The challenge is, it is highly contagious. We contain it as much as we can.?

    More...
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

      Tufts University -


      Administration warns of possible norovirus outbreak

      by Joshua Berlinger on <ABBR class=published title=2012-01-26>January 26, 2012</ABBR>

      Citing the steep increase in symptoms seen across the Boston area, the administration sent out an email warning the Tufts community about the rise in gastroenteritis. The email describes symptoms that include severe vomiting within the first 24 hours, body aches, diarrhea and ?just plain feeling awful,? stated Margaret Highman, Medical Director at Tufts Student Health Services. Health Services advised students to wash their hands to avoid contracting the virus.

      ...

      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
      -Nelson Mandela

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

        Norovirus popping up in MetroWest hospitals

        By Laura Krantz/Daily News staff
        MetroWest Daily News
        Posted Feb 03, 2012 @ 12:02 AM

        Local hospitals Thursday said there was an uptick this week in cases of a stomach bug called norovirus, a highly contagious illness that causes diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain.

        ?Now we?re seeing two to three people come through the (emergency department) a day,? said Melissa Hodgson, spokesperson for Marlborough Hospital.

        She said they don?t usually see any.

        According to the Centers for Disease Control, a norovirus infection causes acute gastroenteritis, whose symptoms also include dehydration and stomach pain.

        Michael Gottlieb, chief medical officer at MetroWest Medical Center, said 10 to 20 percent of cases in the emergency department over the past few weeks have been stomach bugs.

        ?There is a lot of pervasive gastrointestinal illness in the community and I have no doubt that a lot of it is norovirus,? Gottlieb said.


        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
        -Nelson Mandela

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

          Wellesley Public Schools on lookout for Norovirus

          By bbrown | Published: <ABBR class=published title=2012-02-07T16:03:12-0500>February 7, 2012</ABBR>
          <!-- .entry-meta -->
          Wellesley Public Schools Tuesday reached out to families, faculty and staff regarding the Norovirus, which hasn?t been spotted of late in the schools but has been the subject of increased attention in other parts of Massachusetts, including the Boston area.

          A note from head of nursing Linda Corridan reads in part:

          ?To date we are not seeing evidence of the norovirus in the schools. Yes, we have children absent with vomiting and or diarrhea symptoms but not to the extent of the severe symptoms associated with the norovirus...

          Wellesley Public Schools Tuesday reached out to families, faculty and staff regarding the Norovirus, which hasn’t been spotted of late in the schools but has been the subject of increased […]
          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
          -Nelson Mandela

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

            Norovirus reported at Framingham State.

            By Staff reports
            MetroWest Daily News
            Posted Feb 15, 2012 @ 02:21 PM


            FRAMINGHAM ?
            Framingham State University is urging students to take precautions in response to a recent uptick of norovirus cases on campus.

            In a letter to students and staff on Monday, Dean of Students Melinda Stoops said the university?s health center had ?seen an increase in the number of cases of gastrointestinal illness that might represent Norovirus? over the past month.




            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Massachusetts - Norovirus cases 2012

              Harvard -

              Stomach Flu Outbreak Spreads

              By Michelle M. Hu, CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
              Published: Wednesday, February 15, 2012

              There has been a slight increase in the number of cases of gastrointestinal illnesses, particularly norovirus, among College students, administrators announced in a campus-wide email on Tuesday.

              Commonly called the stomach flu or food poisoning, the highly contagious illness is prevalent during the winter and can be spread through direct contact or ingesting contaminated food or water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

              It is standard protocol to inform the community in situations when health issues arise “in order to promote health and prevention,” Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesperson Jeff Neal wrote in an email.

              More...
              There has been a slight increase in the number of cases of gastrointestinal illnesses, particularly norovirus, among College students, administrators announced in a campus-wide email on Tuesday.
              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
              -Nelson Mandela

              Comment

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