Unknown Illness Sickens 19 At Willamette University

[mordan]

Marion County Health Department experts are looking into an outbreak of an unknown virus at Willamette University that has affected 19 girls.

Nineteen girls from the Oregon Girls State program were isolated on the Salem campus after they became ill over the last few days. One girl was transported to an area hospital, but officials said she is OK.Officials said one of the parents was sick and passed the virus to her daughter, who infected everyone else.

Officials said they first thought the girls were suffering from norovirus, but they have since ruled that out.Over a 150 high school senior girls and 42 staff members of Oregon Girls State are visiting the campus for a mock primary election.There are no reports of illness from school employees or students.

http://www.kptv.com/news/13543972/detail.html

 

[hawkeye]

Re: Unknown Illness Sickens 19 At Willamette University

Virus outbreak at university hits 22 cases

June 22, 2007

Three new cases of an unidentified virus outbreak at Willamette University were confirmed Thursday, a Marion County Health Department official said.

All the cases involve girls visiting the university campus as part of Oregon Girls State, a youth mock legislature program.

Twenty-two high school seniors, including the new cases, have been reported becoming sick since arriving Sunday for Girls State.

"It sure is painting itself to look very much like what is becoming an all-too-common Norovirus-like outbreak," said Bob Anderson, a health department official.

Girls State director Sondra Lino said Thursday evening that all the girls were getting healthy and that there no longer was a need to isolate them in the Sigma Chi fraternity house.

-- Willie Bans