Hotel Marshfield Linked to 56 Likely Norovirus Cases after Reporting 21 Possible Cases Less than One Week Ago
A Wisconsin County Health Department has released data indicating that 56 individuals have now fallen ill following an April 6th Roehl Transport corporate party held at the Hotel Marshfield, a full-service hotel located in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
The newly-released count, provided by the Wood County Health Department, more than doubles the count released by officials less than a week ago, which stood at 21 cases.
According to Jonathan Anderson of USA Today Network, all 56 individuals were in attendance at the corporate party.
Collaborative Investigation: Determining the Source of the Outbreak
Public health officials strongly believe that norovirus is the likely source of the outbreak, and say that over 270 individuals could have been exposed to the extremely contagious virus at the event
The Wisconsin Department of Public Health has become involved in the investigation to determine the source of the illnesses, and is working in collaboration with the Wood County Health Department to do so.
The swift and thorough response of public health officials on both the county and state level should be noted, as a swift response is critical to containing the spread of norovirus. The officials have conducted an incredibly thorough investigation to this point, up to and including the collection of stool samples from ill guests who attended the April 6th party at the Hotel Marshfield. Officials may have initial results related to tests of the samples, which were sent to the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene for analysis, as early as Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.
In addition, state epidemiologists are in the process of analyzing interviews and surveys of individuals who attended the party at Hotel Marshfield in an attempt to pinpoint a particular food or drink that may have caused the outbreak, said Eggleston.
Norovirus: Leading Cause of Foodborne Illness in the US; Almost Impossible to Prevent, Extremely Difficult to Control
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Norovirus is the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States. Each year, it causes 19-21 million illnesses and contributes to 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations and 570-800 deaths.
A Virus Difficult to Prevent or Control — and a Reminder to Wash Your Hands
If the stool cultures test positive for norovirus as officials expect, the mode of transmission is still unknown. Although the virus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US, Eggleston cautions that the virus may well have been introduced by a guest to the party at the Hotel Marshfield who was already infected with the virus.
Person-to-person transmission could well be the cause of the outbreak, especially given the incredibly small number of particles required to transmit the virus. This mode of transmission also increases in likelihood as the number of people in a given space increases. In other words, the more people you have in any given room, the more likely the virus is to spread from person to person without the help of a contaminated surface or contaminated food.
The hotel has not previously experienced any similar issues, Eggleston said. She continued, stating that “there’s nothing the hotel has done wrong,” and that the hotel runs “a very good food establishment.”
No reason exists to doubt Eggleston’s statements regarding the quality of the hotel and its food service – and it’s worth noting that previous guests strongly agree with her conclusions – however, norovirus doesn’t discriminate on the basis of past performance. In other words, the majority of norovirus outbreaks are caused by forces outside of the establishment’s control, whether it be an ill guest, a recovering chef, or a delivery of oysters infected with the virus.
The only way to prevent the spread of norovirus is consistent, thorough, and effective hand washing. Also important to note is that while hand sanitizer kills the majority of germs, it is not effective against norovirus; actual hand washing is required.
Norovirus: the Most Common Cause of Foodborne Disease (“Food Poisoning”) Outbreaks in the US
Norovirus is also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States. The virus is responsible for:
- 58% of domestically-acquired foodborne illnesses annually;
- about 50% of foodborne disease outbreaks due to known agents; and
- nearly 1 million pediatric medical care visits annually, making it the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis among U.S. children less than 5 years of age who seek medical care.
Each year, it costs about $2 billion in the United States for healthcare and lost productivity from foodborne illness caused by norovirus.
Most of norovirus outbreaks take place in establishments like restaurants or other food-service settings. Infected food workers are frequently the source of the outbreaks, often by touching ready-to-eat foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, with their bare hands before serving them. “However, any food served raw or handled after being cooked can get contaminated with norovirus,” the CDC states.
Symptoms & Treatment for Cases of Norovirus
Generally, individuals develop symptoms between 12 and 48 hours after their first exposure to the virus. Diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and nausea are the most common symptoms. Other symptoms commonly experienced – though less frequently than those listed above – include fever, headache, and body aches.
Most people infected with norovirus recover within 1 to 3 days; however, young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals and people with other illnesses may experience dehydration.
The CDC indicates that symptoms of dehydration include a decrease in urination, dry mouth and throat, and a “dizzy feeling” when standing. feeling dizzy when standing, Additionally, children who are dehydrated may cry with few or no tears and be unusually sleepy or fussy.
If you believe you or someone you are caring for is dehydrated, please seek medical attention.
