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Dr. Kim Mulvihill Reporting The Hilton Hotel at Washington's Dulles Airport is shut down today after the highly contagious norovirus leaves 120 people sick.
Guests and workers at the hotel came down with sudden and intense gastrointestinal symptoms.
The Norovirus is ruining vacations all over the world. Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the "stomach flu," or gastroenteritis in people. And like all viral infections, noroviruses are not affected by treatment with antibiotics.
The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people will also get 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. In most people the illness lasts for a day or two.
In Virginia the hotel closed to stop the virus from spreading to even more people. An outside cleaning company came in and started disinfecting the hotel which will be closed for several days.
Outbreaks of norovirus are common when you have groups of people living in close proximity.... such as on cruise ships, hotels, prisons and nursing homes.
HOW DO PEOPLE BECOME INFECTED WITH NOROVIRUS? -Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with the virus. -Touching surfaces or objects that are contaminated then putting hand in mouth. -Having direct contact with someone who is sick.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE SYMPTOMS? - Usually 24 to 48 hours after ingesting the virus -- can be as early as 12 hours. - Depends how much is taken in, and how good of health you are in.
CLOSING THE HOTEL SEEMS QUITE DRASTIC -- IS THIS VIRUS VERY CONTAGIOUS? - Very contagious and can spread rapidly. - People are contagious from when they start feeling ill to at 3 days after recovery -- some are contagious for up to 2 weeks after they are feeling well. - That's why good hygiene is so important -- hand washing -- this virus can live in stool and vomit.
