Maine - Norovirus cases 2012

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More than a third of students miss school in St. Agatha because of norovirus

<!-- 0.324 s --><!-- 0.324 s -->By Jen Lynds, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 30, 2012, at 6:41 p.m

ST. AGATHA, Maine ? Attendance seems to be getting back to normal at Wisdom Middle-High School after a stomach flu left staff and students reeling and emptied a third of classrooms last week.

The school illnesses occurred as the state epidemiologist was preparing a statewide alert about the suspected cause, a norovirus that has been reported this winter in nearly a dozen other places in Maine, including nursing homes and day care facilities.

?It just came out of the blue,? said Fern Desjardins, superintendent of SAD 33, which serves students in Frenchville and St. Agatha. ?The students and the staff have been suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. It has just been at the middle-high school. We have not had an issue at the elementary school.?

The superintendent said that out of 150 students at the middle-high school, 36 (24 percent) were absent last Thursday and 53 (35 percent) were absent on Friday. Three of the 21 staff members, or 14 percent, were absent Jan. 26, while six, or nearly 30 percent, were out the next day.

More...
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/...iss-school-in-st-agatha-because-of-norovirus/

 

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Re: Maine - Norovirus cases 2012

MAINE PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT
NETWORK SYSTEM
**ADVISORY ? Important Information**
2012PHADV002

TO: Long Term Care Facilities, Hospitals, Emergency Departments, Infection Control
Practitioners, Schools, Day Care Centers, Rural Health Centers

FROM: Dr. Sheila Pinette, Maine CDC Director
Dr. Stephen Sears, State Epidemiologist
SUBJECT: Norovirus Gastroenteritis in Maine
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
TIME: 9:00am

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC)

Norovirus Gastroenteritis in Maine

Since the end of December 2011, Maine CDC has investigated 16 reports of gastroenteritis outbreaks statewide. Norovirus Genotype II has been identified as the cause of one of the outbreaks. Norovirus infections typically increase during the winter months, and Maine CDC routinely receives reports of suspected and confirmed norovirus outbreaks each year. Public health partners are encouraged to consider norovirus when assessing clusters of gastroenteritis and to act promptly to prevent the spread of illness.

Background: Norovirus infections are characterized by the abrupt onset of gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. It is highly contagious and is transmitted in stool and vomitus. Exposure can result through direct contact with a person who is ill, by consuming food or liquids that are prepared or handled by an ill person, and through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The virus can persist on surfaces for prolonged periods at a wide range of temperatures.

Recommendations: In outbreaks and clusters of illness, diagnosis should be confirmed by PCR testing of stool specimens at the Maine CDC?s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL). Stools should also be tested for bacterial pathogens through private laboratories. Information on specimen collection and handling can be found at:
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/etl/micro/submitting_samples.htm. To report a possible institutional outbreak and to obtain epidemiologic support for norovirus stool testing, call 1-800-821-5821.

 Community: People with norovirus should be informed that infection can easily be spread from person to person, and that both stool and vomitus are infectious. Ill individuals and their close contacts should wash their hands frequently with soap and water, and should be aware that they can continue to transmit the virus for up to 2 days after symptoms have resolved. Infected individuals should refrain from food handling, patient or child care, and recreational water activity, until at least 2 days after symptoms have resolved.

 Food Workers: Food preparers and food handlers with gastroenteritis should not work until at least 48-72 hours after their symptoms resolve. Because the virus continues to be present in the stool for as long as 4 weeks after the person feels better, strict hand washing after using the bathroom and before handling food items is important to prevent the spread of this virus. Food handlers who were recently sick may be given different duties so that they do not have to handle food.

 Health Care and Residential Facilities: Refer to Maine CDC?s norovirus guidance and checklist for long term care facilities. Transmission of norovirus infection to and from patients/residents and staff occurs readily, and cases of gastroenteritis should be reported to infection control professionals as soon as possible. Contact Precautions should be used when caring for diapered or incontinent persons during outbreaks in a facility, and when there is the possibility of splashes that might lead to contamination of clothing. Persons cleaning areas contaminated with vomitus or feces should wear surgical masks. Patients with suspected norovirus may be placed in private rooms or cohorted. Ill staff should not work until 48-72 hours after their symptoms resolve. Increasing environmental disinfection will decrease the presence of the virus on surfaces. Health care facilities may consider limiting admissions and discharges, as well as elective procedures until outbreaks subside or until patients can be appropriately cohorted.

 Schools and child care facilities: Alert parents when an outbreak is suspected and request that ill children remain at home during the symptomatic period and at least 48 hours after last symptoms.

.../
http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/attach.php?id=348587&an=2

 

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Re: Maine - Norovirus cases 2012

Health officials warn of Norovirus outbreaks

12:10 AM, Feb 28, 2012

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- It's cold and flu season, but there is another nasty illness out there that has health care providers concerned.
It is called the Norovirus.

"It causes a lot of diarrhea and lot of vomiting, and it's very intense," State Epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Sears said. "We are seeing outbreaks in nursing homes, schools, doctor's offices, as well as just individual cases."
...
As far as the more commonly known Influenza virus, the good news is that Maine hasn't had many cases of the flu yet this winter. But Dr. Sears says during last week's school vacation, many people traveled to parts of the country where there are a lot of cases of the Flu, so there's a good chance we will see an increase in Maine over the next week or so.

Full text:
http://www.wlbz2.com/news/article/191021/3/Health-officials-warn-of-Norovirus-outbreaks

 

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Re: Maine - Norovirus cases 2012

38 outbreaks of Norovirus confirmed in Maine

By Kayla Collins
Mar 15, 2012 12:00 am

STATE ? Maine has been hit by 38 separate outbreaks of noroviruses, a group of viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis, reported Dr. Stephen Sears, state epidemiologist with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MECDC).
...
Because norovirus is so common, particularly during the winter months, MECDC only investigates outbreaks of norovirus, as opposed to individual cases, said Sears. Outbreaks are most common in nursing homes, schools and other community settings, like weddings, he said.
...

Full text:
http://www.advertiserdemocrat.com/news/story/025-11-news-2012norovirus-11-h-46