Flagler County, FL: Hundreds contract "unknown virus" - norovirus?

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http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?glide=EH-20100224-25048-USA&cat=dis&lang=eng

Hundreds of people in Flagler County, Florida, including over 550 Rymfire Elementary School students and faculty members, have seemingly acquired an unknown virus, leaving them feeling tremendously ill. The Flagler County Health Director has allegedly deemed the eruption of reported illnesses an ?epidemic? since every school in the county has been plagued with reports of illnesses. Reports state the 550 students and staff members from Rymfire Elementary School were not in attendance at the school on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, after suffering symptoms, which include nausea, fever, and diarrhea. Health officials will reportedly need to collect samples from the affected victims in order to identify the issue though they suggested the Norovirus might be to blame for the outbreak of illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov, noroviruses are defined as ?a group of related, single-stranded RNA, nonenveloped viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans?. Persons affected by the virus or those who begin to feel ?dizzy or faint? are advised to stay hydrated and remain at home since it is reported to be extremely contagious. Tests conducted to detect the root of the epidemic are allegedly expected to be ready on Friday. Health officials have also noted that the virus may not be confined to Flagler County.

 

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Re: Flagler County, FL: Hundreds contract "unknown virus" - norovirus?

http://mtdev.news-journalonline.com...-confirm-norovirus-at-rymfire-elementary.html

Sample tests confirm norovirus at Rymfire Elementary
By ANNE GEGGIS , Staff Writer
February 18, 2010 11:27 AM 0 Comments Vote 0 Votes

Posted in Flagler
A norovirus has been confirmed as the source sickening more than one-third of students at Rymfire Elementary School in Palm Coast.

Testing on three samples from residents experiencing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea revealed what health officials had suspected when an unusual number of patients experiencing the symptoms arrived at Florida Hospital Flagler over the weekend.

"We're not surprised," said Patrick Johnson, administrator of the Flagler County Health Department. "Now we have to concentrate on controlling the outbreak."

The worst appeared to be over Wednesday. The absenteeism at Rymfire dropped from about 600 on Tuesday to 560 on Wednesday, out of 1,525 students, according to Katrina Townsend, director of student services for the Flagler County school district.

"We're seeing less new cases reported, so that's better," she said.

Norovirus is a name given to a group of viruses commonly associated with cruise ships -- often responsible for sickening hundreds on a given ship -- aptly demonstrating how a virus can infect a large number in an isolated population. Johnson said he believed this problem stems from the virulence of the vomit of an infected person.

He was infected about a year ago when his wife picked it up in a hospital emergency room where she works. He said almost all of the interviewees in this outbreak described "violent vomiting."

"Dealing with it almost makes it certain that you are going to catch it if it's in your household," he said. "When there's close exposure, the attack rate is 50 to 90 percent."

The good news: Outbreaks usually burn out in one to two weeks, Johnson said.

Flagler County school buses have been treated with industrial-strength sanitizer, in addition to all the schools. Parents are invited to an information session on the outbreak at 6:30 tonight at Buddy Taylor Middle School cafeteria, 4500 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast.