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The winter vomiting bug norovirus has struck 2.8million people, with health professionals braced for another rise as people return to schools and offices. The virus - which causes projectile vomiting, diarrhoea, mild fevers and headaches - is striking down more than 200,000 a week, according to official estimates. Three hospitals have been placed on red alert, while hundreds of wards up and down the country have been closed to new patients as the number of beds being taken up by bug victims reaches critical levels.

Britain in grip of norovirus as cases hit 3m By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor Last Updated: 1:50am GMT 12/01/2008 Three million people have been struck down by the winter vomiting bug - with experts fearing that cases could rise through this month and next. The norovirus season began a month earlier than normal this winter. Cases of the bug increased rapidly, with more than 200,000 people a week now catching the infection, official figures claim. Those with symptoms are urged to engage in good hygiene to prevent the virus spreading further Hospitals struggling to cope have closed hundreds of wards...

GPs urge millions hit by bug to stay at home By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor and Aislinn Simpson Last Updated: 2:14am GMT 03/01/2008 Doctors' leaders warned people struck down by a violent stomach bug sweeping the country not to return to work as GPs reported that they were being inundated by sufferers. More than 100,000 people a week are catching norovirus, which causes sudden vomiting and diarrhoea, and the numbers contracting the disease will peak this month. The NHS advises patients affected to stay at home for 48 hours after they last suffered the symptoms Thousands of workers and children...

WANTAGE, NJ (1010 WINS) -- Fifty people who ate at a Wantage Italian restaurant have come down with stomach flu symptoms, health officials said. While the cause of the outbreak at LiBerti's Restaurant is under investigation, an immediate inspection after the customers were sickened found violations with the establishment's water system. "The situation could have occurred a number of ways, from the water, from an employee who was ill who was handling food, from a customer who ate at the restaurant who passed it to somebody," Sussex County Health Administrator Stephen Gruchacz told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Saturday newspapers....

Two hospitals are asking visitors, especially children, to stay away until they control an outbreak of a highly contagious stomach virus that has sickened patients and staff members. "We're just asking the community to help out," said Dr. Ward Robinson, an infectious disease specialist at Moses Cone Hospital. "I don't think this is the black plague coming into Greensboro." Doctors confirmed an outbreak at the hospital and believe the virus also has hit Wesley Long Hospital. The number of people affected wasn't immediately available, hospital officials said. Three suspected norovirus cases first appeared on Feb. 1 and were not confirmed...

Two hospitals are asking visitors, especially children, to stay away until they control an outbreak of a highly contagious stomach virus.

JAMM AQUINO /ALEXANDRE DA SILVA / The Queen Elizabeth 2 made its way into Honolulu Harbor early yesterday morning. During its journey, the ship was hit with a norovirus outbreak on its Acapulco, Mexico-San Francisco leg and was met by the CDC after it docked in Honolulu. The stomach flu outbreak sickened at least 276 passengers and 28 crew members amid its around-the-world journey. CDC greets cruise ship A stomach flu virus seems to be under control aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 Passengers and crew members aboard a cruise ship in which hundreds fell ill with a highly contagious stomach...

A Hilton hotel outside Washington has been closed for a top-to-bottom scrubbing after 15 employees and more than 100 guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, a hotel spokesman said Friday. Hotel officials first heard reports of sick guests Wednesday and contacted Fairfax County health authorities, said Jim Cree, the director of sales and marketing at the hotel near Dulles International Airport. Officials confirmed it was norovirus Thursday night, he said. Outbreaks of norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, are common on cruise ships and in places like hotels, prisons and nursing homes.

You have to go to the link...Gannett and all.

NDIANAPOLIS - The Marion County Health Department says more than 160 people have claimed they became ill after eating at an Olive Garden restaurant in Indianapolis last weekend. A health department spokesman says they're trying to isolate the cause and have found no health code violations at the restaurant on the city's north side.

MIAMI - The world's largest cruise ship was held in port Monday for intensive cleaning after a second outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in two voyages sickened 106 people. More than 380 passengers and crew members aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas were sickened by norovirus during a Nov. 26-Dec. 3 Caribbean cruise. The ship was cleaned before its next cruise, but 97 passengers and 11 crew members became sick with the same illness last week, officials at the Miami-based cruise line said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommended keeping the ship in port and will oversee repeated cleaning...

The world's largest cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, returned to Miami on Dec. 3rd with more than 380 passengers and crew were sickened by what was believed to be the norovirus, according to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line officials. The outbreak struck Freedom during a week-long cruise to the western Caribbean, and was likely brought aboard on Nov. 26th by an ill guest, according to the company. The norovirus, spread by contact, can quickly sweep through enclosed areas like cruise ships. The outbreak on Freedom comes only a couple of weeks after more than 700 passengers and crew members were...

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...

Congressman wants better data on cruise ship crime WASHINGTON (AP) -- Only five of the 28 people who disappeared from cruise ships in the past three years were found, according to data disclosed to Congress by the world's largest cruise lines. A congressional memo compiled in advance of a House hearing on cruise ship safety Tuesday also details 177 sexual misconduct incidents, ranging from inappropriate touching to rape, and four robberies of amounts over $5,000. During that three-year period approximately 25 million people embarked on cruises from North America ports, the memo said.

Oct. 26) -- Eyewitness News has learned that the illness that has plagued the Flamingo hotel and casino is the norovirus. We were the first to tell you about the spreading illness at the hotel. And Tuesday, the health district told us that they've had as many as 250 unconfirmed cases of norovirus -- most were Flamingo employees, and some were guests. The Flamingo says they will fog all the 3,500 rooms in the hotel with an anti-viral chemical. They will also leave a letter in each room telling new guests about the situation. Norovirus is spread by humans, after...

Dulles Hyatt evacuated due to neruo virus - 60 people sick