Norovirus outbreak sickens 150 inmates at county jail in Las Vegas, Nevada

GLIDE Number: EP-20070322-10453-USA
Date / time: 22/03/2007 04:38:00
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Area: North-America
Country: USA
State/County: State of Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Number of Deads: None or unknow
Number of Injured: None or unknow
Damage level: Minor

Description:
A norovirus outbreak sickened at least 150 inmates and seven guards at the county jail, authorities said Wednesday as crews tried to decontaminate the building. Most of those sickened since Saturday complained of stomach-related distress such as diarrhea, vomiting and cramps, said Brian Labus, senior epidemiologist with the Southern Nevada Health District in Las Vegas. None was hospitalized.

"It's going to make people feel miserable for a couple of days, but they will recover after it runs its course," he said. The Clark County jail was closed to visitors Tuesday and Wednesday, but inmates were allowed to meet with lawyers through glass partitions, Officer Jose Montoya said. Many of the sickened inmates were kitchen workers, police said, leading officials to think the virus might have been spread throughout the 3,016-bed detention center by contaminated food or trays.

Labus said the outbreak may be related to a norovirus wave in the Las Vegas area that he estimated had sickened thousands of people since December. Noroviruses are members of a family of viruses and have sickened large groups on cruise ships and in places such as hotels, schools, prisons and nursing homes.

More:
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&id=10453