Say WA? Evergreen State ping
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Posted on 04/10/2006 10:15:44 AM PDT by djf
VANCOUVER, Wash. — A third person died Friday from a viral outbreak at a retirement center that has sickened more than 55 residents and workers, authorities said.
Forty residents and 19 staff members of the Cascade Inn were affected by the norovirus. Nine people have been hospitalized, Clark County health officials said.
Marni Storey, manager of the Health Department's infectious disease program, said she expects to see more cases before the outbreak of norovirus dies down.
All three deaths involved elderly residents with other underlying medical conditions, health officials said. The previous deaths occurred Wednesday and Thursday.
Health officials have asked the 180 residents to stay in their rooms and urged friends and family not to visit until the outbreak runs its course. Social activities have been canceled.
The norovirus is common and often takes the form of a mild stomach disorder. Symptoms can include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. The virus strikes the elderly particularly hard if they suffer from other medical conditions, Storey said.
The voluntary quarantine will remain in effect until four days after the last new diagnosis _ perhaps another week, Storey has said. Investigators are still interviewing residents, hoping to learn more about the source of the outbreak, she said.
ping
sounds like someone went to see grandpa when they weren't feeling well. i NEVER go visit family or friends in nursing homes or hospitals if i don't feel 100%. too bad other people don't stop and think about how fragile most of these people are!!!
What are noroviruses?
Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the “stomach flu,” or gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-I-tis), in people. The term norovirus was recently approved as the official name for this group of viruses. Several other names have been used for noroviruses, including:
Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs)
caliciviruses (because they belong to the virus family Caliciviridae)
small round structured viruses.
Viruses are very different from bacteria and parasites, some of which can cause illnesses similar to norvirus infection. Viruses are much smaller, are not affected by treatment with antibiotics, and cannot grow outside of a person’s body.
What are the symptoms of illness caused by noroviruses?
The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. The illness is usually brief, with symptoms lasting only about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults. Most people with norovirus illness have both of these symptoms.
What is the name of the illness caused by noroviruses?
Illness caused by norovirus infection has several names, including:
stomach flu – this “stomach flu” is not related to the flu (or influenza), which is a respiratory illness caused by influenza virus.
viral gastroenteritis – the most common name for illness caused by norovirus. Gastroenteritis refers to an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
acute gastroenteritis
non-bacterial gastroenteritis
food poisoning (although there are other causes of food poisoning)
calicivirus infection
How serious is norovirus disease?
Norovirus disease is usually not serious, although people may feel very sick and vomit many times a day. Most people get better within 1 or 2 days, and they have no long-term health effects related to their illness. However, sometimes people are unable to drink enough liquids to replace the liquids they lost because of vomiting and diarrhea. These persons can become dehydrated and may need special medical attention. This problem with dehydration is usually only seen among the very young, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. There is no evidence to suggest that an infected person can become a long-term carrier of norovirus.
How do people become infected with noroviruses?
Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can become infected with the virus in several ways, including:
eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus;
touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth;
having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms (for example, when caring for someone with illness, or sharing foods or eating utensils with someone who is ill).
Persons working in day-care centers or nursing homes should pay special attention to children or residents who have norovirus illness. This virus is very contagious and can spread rapidly throughout such environments.
When do symptoms appear?
Symptoms of norovirus illness usually begin about 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but they can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure.
Are noroviruses contagious?
Noroviruses are very contagious and can spread easily from person to person. Both stool and vomit are infectious. Particular care should be taken with young children in diapers who may have diarrhea.How long are people contagious?
People infected with norovirus are contagious from the moment they begin feeling ill to at least 3 days after recovery. Some people may be contagious for as long as 2 weeks after recovery. Therefore, it is particularly important for people to use good handwashing and other hygienic practices after they have recently recovered from norovirus illness.
Who gets norovirus infection?
Anyone can become infected with these viruses. There are many different strains of norovirus, which makes it difficult for a person’s body to develop long-lasting immunity. Therefore, norovirus illness can recur throughout a person’s lifetime. In addition, because of differences in genetic factors, some people are more likely to become infected and develop more severe illness than others.
What treatment is available for people with norovirus infection?
Currently, there is no antiviral medication that works against norovirus and there is no vaccine to prevent infection. Norovirus infection cannot be treated with antibiotics. This is because antibiotics work to fight bacteria and not viruses.
Norovirus illness is usually brief in healthy individuals. When people are ill with vomiting and diarrhea, they should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Dehydration among young children, the elderly, the sick, can be common, and it is the most serious health effect that can result from norovirus infection. By drinking oral rehydration fluids (ORF), juice, or water, people can reduce their chance of becoming dehydrated. Sports drinks do not replace the nutrients and minerals lost during this illness.
Can norovirus infections be prevented?
Yes. You can decrease your chance of coming in contact with noroviruses by following these preventive steps:
Frequently wash your hands, especially after toilet visits and changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.
Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and steam oysters before eating them.
Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner.
Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap).
Flush or discard any vomitus and/or stool in the toilet and make sure that the surrounding area is kept clean.
Persons who are infected with norovirus should not prepare food while they have symptoms and for 3 days after they recover from their illness (see food handler information sheet). Food that may have been contaminated by an ill person should be disposed of properly.
Just curious, is there a recipe for home made ORF? Good thing to have on hand for this type of outbreak, or cholera or dysentery.
AND DON"T EAT ANY PRODUCE IMPORTED FROM OTHER COUNTRIES!!!
I usually don't, but two of the things I love the most are seasonal. Fresh asparagus from Peru in the fall and fresh corn in the early spring.
Can't help it...
The daycare facility that my kids go to in Tualatin, OR, had an outbreak last November. I ended up getting the virus three times. Symptoms are a very unsettled stomach and the expected bodily functions. All three times it lasted less than 24 hours.
The county health people sent in a team and disinfected the place from floor to ceiling. Oddly, I can't find anything about it on Google.
Another good reason to have at least a 3 day supply of stuff at your place.
I wouldn't want to have to run down to the store to get a quart of milk if there was a major outbreak of something.
I would like to have a homemade recipie too. I have a great product that is powdered called 'allergy-c' that works in a pinch. it has calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
I have had this Norwalk thing too many times to count. Its nasty.
It's more commonly called ORS, not ORF. Stands for Oral Rehydration Solution. Here's the simplest recipe. Other recipes add some form of carbohydrate, but I don't have one of those at hand.
Home made ORS recipe
Preparing a 1 (one) litre oral rehydration solution [ORS] using Salt, Sugar and Water at Home
Mix an oral rehydration solution using one of the following recipes; depending on ingredients and container availability:
Ingredients:
one level teaspoon of salt
eight level teaspoons of sugar
one litre of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled
5 cupfuls (each cup about 200 ml.)
Preparation Method:
Stir the mixture till the salt and sugar dissolve.
Thanks, but when I said I coudn't find anything about it, I was talking specifically about the outbreak at the La Petite Academy in Tualatin, OR.
I wonder if this will be added to the wiki list?
Interesting that most of the sports drink type thingies (Gatorade, Powerade, etc) have more Potassium in them than Sodium, and if you read the label clearly, you will find that the RDA for Potassium is actually higher than the RDA for Sodium!
Also, they have citric acid. You ask yourself "Why does it have citric acid?"
Do a little googling and you find that citric acid is part of something called the Krebs cycle, just about the main energy producing cycle in the body. The body can synthesize some of it, but it sounds more and more to me that it wouldn't hurt a human one durn bit if he added a bit of supplemental Citric acid to your diet.
I don't know, I thought you were just looking for info about norovirus. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Say WA? Evergreen State ping
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.
Bigtime. And after you've carefully washed and dried your hands what's the first thing you grab? Yep - it's the restroom door handle, just grabbed by somebody who didn't wash his hands.
I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on the desk. In my biz the other place you pick this sort of thing up is from other people's keyboards and mice, or when someone other than you has just borrowed yours.
HA....That's why I use my towel to open the door, and if the waste bin is NOT handy, the towel goes on the floor next to the door.....restroom "owners" are starting to get the message.
I have to assume you are in Washington, I will try to remember to ping you to local stuff.
I did hear a good joke about the whole thing, though.
Two lawyers who didn't know each other are in the restroom. One gets done, heads to the sink, and starts to wash his hands.
The other gets done and heads straight for the door, the first one says to him "I went to Yale, and they taught us to wash our hands after the restroom."
The one at the door says "Yeah, but I went to Harvard, and they taught us not to pee on ourselves"
:-}
Yuck Yuck!!!
stomach flu – this “stomach flu” is not related to the flu (or influenza), which is a respiratory illness caused by influenza virus.I was diagnosed with gastroenteritis back in 1986. I really didn't get over it for three weeks. The day I got sick I went to the ER (I was ejecting material from both ends simultaneously). Sitting on the pot with a bucket in front of me. It was when there wasn't anything left to evacuate, but the urge just wouldn't stop I went to the ER. That was a fun drive.
viral gastroenteritis – the most common name for illness caused by norovirus. Gastroenteritis refers to an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
acute gastroenteritis
non-bacterial gastroenteritis
food poisoning (although there are other causes of food poisoning)
calicivirus infection
The doc gave me a trimethobenzamide injection into my hip. All that did for me was to move the gnawing feeling from the pit of my gut into the hip where I got the shot. I remember lying on the gurney, and the nurse came by to check on me. "So how are feeling after that injection, you should be feeling better." I told her all that shot did was move my stomach pain into my hip. "Why did it do that?" she asks. When I didn't have an answer she said she'd check on me a little bit later.
A little while later she comes back and inquires how my stomach is feeling. I tell her my stomach feels fine, but my hip hurts just as bad as my stomach did before. But it seemed as if that was waning somewhat.
So I got discharged a little while later with a prescription for trimethobenzamide suppositories. I said to myself, no way am I going to be sticking that crap up my butt. Famous last words. About two hours after I got home, I'm running to the pharmacey because the stomach ache came back with a vengance.
Within 20 minutes of inserting the first one I had the sudden realization that wasn't going to be doing much of anything for the rest of the day and BOOM, I was out like a light. 12 HOURS later I woke up the first time. And that's the way it was for the next 48 (more lights out than ights on). By the third day I was able to tolerate the drug and managed to go to work by the 4th day.
By this time I'm noticing that while I'm not as sleepy from the drug anymore, but that gnawing feeling was still there in the pit of my gut. Eating was an entirely forced task (I felt I wanted to upchuck after each bite).
The doc warned me that I might not get fully over this thing for three weeks. Frankly, I really wasn't myself for a full month (and wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy).
One day while I was at a client's site, I was asked by the accountant who was supervising my work, where I picked up whatever it was I came down with. I told her I had no clue, and that it hit me like a ton of bricks just out of the blue (and recounted my experience). She nodded, and said she had an idea where I may have picked that up. She had a pop can in her hand, and she turned the top towards me and pointed at the indentation that runs around the lip of the can. Unless you opened the box yourself, you just plain don't know where that can's been, and in some of these convenience stores you have no clue what's been running across, defecating or making its home on top of the cans.
Thank you!!! Same here. I think it is unconscionable!
I've had to tend the health of elderly relatives on many occasions as a result of some family member going to visit while sick, or taking their sick children along on a visit.
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