In Cornwall, United Kingdom, people are being told to stay away from the hospitals. At least three hospitals are dealing with outbreaks.
In London, England U.K., the Lewisham Hospital is dealing with an outbreak.
In Gloucestershire, South West England U.K., two schools were closed after half the students got sick. This makes four schools since December.
In Scotland U.K., one ward of the Royal Dundee Liff Hospital was closed to new patients because of an outbreak.
The latest update on the outbreak on the Royal Caribbean ship is that the U.S. CDC says it was never notified of a norovirus outbreak. The official report from the Vision of the Seas simply said 108 passengers and crew were sick with a stomach bug. Passengers disembarked from the cruise ship in Florida U.S.A. Some say they’re still sick, others said the outbreak began immediately after the cruise began.
In United Kingdom a group of people are suing P&O Cruises. They say they got sick during a December cruise. Southampton Port Health Authority confirmed 417 cases of norovirus on the ship, Oriana. P&O Cruises blames passengers: “…if an outbreak occurs it is normally because a passenger has brought the virus on board unwittingly.”
At least 63 people got sick after eating at what’s considered the World’s top restaurant. It happened at Noma Nordic restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, last month. Only now is it making news. Health inspectors blamed poor hygiene, lack of hot water in the kitchen, and the owners failed to respond to warnings from their employees about people getting sick. The Danish Food Administration said that people were sickened by “a cocktail of different noroviruses”.
In Vermont U.S.A., the Bridport Central School was closed for two days last week after 90% of the students, and 30% of employees became sick. Health officials called it a norovirus outbreak, but they could not find the source, and don’t think it had anything to do with the school food program.
The University of North Carolina U.S.A., reported more than 85 students sick last week. Health officials can not find a common source!
In Saskatchewan, Canada, the Parkland Place nursing home in Melfort was hit with an outbreak. Visitation is restricted until further notice.
And in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, I just read that ten hospitals had restricted visitation due to outbreaks. They’ve lifted general restrictions, which means only healthy adults who’re parents or grandparents of patients can visit.
In South Carolina U.S.A., doctors are calling this years norovirus the “worst season in 10 years”. The city of Simpsonville is getting hit hard: “We’re seeing parents come in that just don’t know what to do….their children have been vomiting for a few days…..We’ve had teachers come in and say that half their class is out with it.”-Justin Moll, Parkside Pediatrics
Ongoing investigations at a ski resort in Arizona U.S.A., still have not been able to find the source of an outbreak that took place a couple of weeks ago. Health investigators said that is was not food or water.
In New Zealand, reports of another stomach bug, this one called Crypto. So far 55 cases reported in Hawke’s Bay. Cryptosporidium is a parasite found in the gut of cattle and other animals, and is passed to humans through contact with animals, contaminated water or food, or direct contact with human waste. It’ll make you sick for four weeks.
Notice that most of these reports are coming from countries where English is the official language. For some odd reason outbreaks of stomach illnesses aren’t reported elsewhere, or they just aren’t happening. Norovirus did originate in the United States, and is a relatively new virus (found in 1968, identified in 1972).