Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

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Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

Posted on January 3, 2013 at 4:18 PM
Updated yesterday at 4:18 PM

PORTLAND -- Doctors say a norovirus outbreak is making dozens of people sick in the Portland area.
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Providence Portland Medical Center has seen 75 cases in its emergency room just since Christmas, according to Doctor Jamie Schlueter. She said it?s also sickened a dozen ER nurses and four doctors in just the last week.

Making matters more complicated, this appears to be a new strain of norovirus.

?People that have been exposed to norovirus before might get it again, so your immune system might not completely respond,? Schlueter explained. ?We have a surge about every four years.?
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Full text:

http://www.kgw.com/news/Norovirus-cases-surge-in-Portland-area-185580592.html

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Re: Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

Health officials investigate norovirus outbreak at Andina in Portland

By Lynne Terry, The OregonianThe Oregonian
on March 13, 2013 at 6:12 PM, updated March 13, 2013 at 7:45 PM

Oregon public health officials are investigating a norovirus outbreak linked to Andina, the second in a year for the high-end Portland restaurant.

So far, 27 people who dined at Andina on March 1 and 2 reported developing gastrointestinal symptoms. Emilio DeBess, a state epidemiologist, said the public health lab has confirmed that one of the patrons was sickened by norovirus.

More...

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/03/health_officials_investigate_n.html

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Re: Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

Norovirus suspected at Forest Grove meeting; 1 dead, 15 sick

By Lynne Terry, The OregonianThe Oregonian
on March 21, 2013 at 3:15 PM, updated March 21, 2013 at 5:37 PM

Oregon officials are investigating the sudden death of a 43-year-old man who was one of more than a dozen people who became sick after attending the same meeting in Forest Grove on Friday.

The state medical examiners office is trying to figure out what killed Kevin Weeks, a McMinnville resident who worked as a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Forestry. He was among 40 people at a State Forests Advisory Committee meeting last Friday at the Forest Grove Community Auditorium.

Health officials suspect that fruit salad carrying norovirus caused the illnesses...
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No one sought medical treatment, and by Monday most people were feeling better. But that day Weeks stayed home sick, colleagues said.
By late morning Tuesday he was dead.
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The death of a 43-year-old man in what appeared to be a typical norovirus outbreak whipped state investigators into a frenzy, with state and county health departments toiling together to nail down the cause.

"We really lit a fuse on Tuesday when we heard that someone had died," Lewis said.

More...

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/03/norovirus_suspected_at_forest.html

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Re: Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

Norovirus likely not the cause of man's death, officials say

By KATU.com Staff
Published: Mar 21, 2013 at 4:44 PM PDT Last Updated: Mar 21, 2013 at 6:18 PM PDT

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. ? The medical examiner no longer believes the death of a McMinnville man was caused by norovirus, according to the Washington County Medical Office Thursday night.

Kevin Weeks, 43, became sick after attending a State Forests Advisory meeting in Forest Grove with about 40 others Friday where 15 people got sick to their stomachs.
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The state epidemiologist emphasized it would be very unusual for a man of Weeks? age to die from norovirus. He suspects he may have had another health condition that actually caused his death.

Officials are still waiting for lab results.

Full text:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Norovirus-suspected-in-mans-death-sickening-15-199451561.html

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Re: Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

Medical examiner finds abnormalities not pointing to norovirus

By Lynne Terry, The OregonianThe Oregonian
on March 22, 2013 at 10:19 AM, updated March 22, 2013 at 10:24 AM

The Oregon's deputy medical examiner said Friday that a 43-year-old man who died in the wake of a norovirus outbreak appeared to have health issues unrelated to food contamination.

"There's something going on that I think will end up being the cause of death but until I rule out everything else I won't put that down on the bottom line," said Dr. Clifford Nelson, state medical examiner.

Nelson performed the autopsy on Kevin Weeks, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Forestry, on Wednesday, five days after an agency meeting last Friday that led to 15 people becoming violently ill. They all recovered but Weeks died suddenly late Tuesday morning.

During the autopsy, Nelson said he found abnormalities. He took tissue samples to look at a range of factors and sent them to the state lab. The results won't be available for days, Nelson said.

More...

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/03/medical_examiner_finds_abnorma.html

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Re: Oregon - Norovirus cases 2013

County confirms Norovirus case at a care facility

Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2013 4:42 pm
By CHELSEA GORROW The Daily Astorian | 0 comments

Clatsop Care Center was closed this week to visitors and guests because of a Norovirus outbreak. This was according to several sources outside of the center.
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?Norovirus was confirmed on Friday, March 22,? a press release from the health department read, ?as the cause of an increased rate of acute gastrointestinal illness occurring at an Astoria care facility. Public Heath has been working with the facility on measures to control the spread of the illness.?
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Full text:

http://www.dailyastorian.com/free/county-confirms-norovirus-case-at-a-care-facility/article_33896b46-9801-11e2-9ce9-001a4bcf887a.html