Wisconsin Public Health Officials Investigating Potential Norovirus Outbreak Linked to Hotel Marshfield
Wisconsin public health officials confirmed the existence of a potential norovirus outbreak in Marshfield associated with a company party held last weekend at Hotel Marshfield in Wisconsin.
State of the (Potential) Outbreak
At least 16 people who attended the weekend party contracted the norovirus-like illness, and the Wood County Health Department is in the process of confirming whether or not norovirus is the pathogen to blame.
As of Wednesday evening, officials had confirmed the 16 reported cases in party attendees, according to local publication WSAW. Considering that the number of confirmed cases early Wednesday morning stood at two – even according to an earlier version of the same article – new cases were being confirmed at an incredibly rapid rate.
Public health officials believe that exposure to the virus likely occurred at the company party for Roehl Transport, according to Jonathan Anderson of USA Today Network. The entire party was held at Hotel Marshfield, which is located at 2700 S. Central Ave., Marshfield, Wisconsin 54449.
Greg Koepel, the company’s Vice President of Workforce Development & Human Resources, indicated that he knew of several people who had reported illness after the company’s awards banquet. Although Koepel oversees the company’s HR department, he did not have the number employees that were ill as of Wednesday. The health department and the company are working together on this case, though the company will largely leave the investigation to the professionals, he indicated.
According to Nancy Eggleston, Environmental Health and Communicable Disease Supervisor for the Wood County Health Department, attendees and hotel staff may have been exposed as well.
Officials Collect Data while Hotel Continues to Operate Despite Outbreak
Hotel Marshfield Manager Cory Latourell stated that at this point, the hotel remains operational despite the investigation. She also indicated that she does not believe the hotel is the source of the contamination because the hotel is a busy place and only banquet attendees became ill.
According to WSAU, investigators conducted and finished a complete inspection of the kitchen and food handling areas.
At the same time the hotel is continuing to accept guests, public health officials conducted phone interviews and electronic surveys with everyone that could be reached of the approximately 276 people that attended the business event.
According to Eggelston, the Wood County Health Department received “a couple of calls” from people saying they had fallen ill after attending the event on Saturday.
Collaborative Efforts to Contain the Spread of Foodborne Diseases
Eggleston, the Environmental Health and Communicable Disease Supervisor for the Wood County Health Department, stated that epidemiologists from the state Department of Health Services are assisting in the investigation.
“We’re sure there’s something that went on, but what we don’t have confirmed is what it was,” Eggleston said. “We know there’s illness. We don’t know what the illness is.” Wisconsin officials hypothesized that they are dealing with the same virus because of the way the bacteria is behaving as far as the incubation time, the symptoms, the length of time that the illness lasted.
Eggelston explained that since “norovirus is highly contagious,” when one person gets it, “a number of other people get it” as well. She added that when someone sick with the virus vomits or has diarrhea and then flushes the toilet, “billions of particles, viral particles, are released in the air, and these particles are all over. They’re on the door. They’re on the counter-top. They’re in the bathroom. They’re on the faucets. They’re everywhere.”
Along with other public health officials, Eggleston encouraged people who fall ill and suspect a foodborne or waterborne illness to contact their local health department; for the record, the Wood County Health Department can be reached at 715-387-8646.
