Viral Outbreak Among Evacuees Contained (700 at Astrodome!)

[doxieone]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5267858,00.html

Viral Outbreak Among Evacuees Contained

Saturday September 10, 2005 1:16 AM



By JIM VERTUNO

Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON (AP) - Doctors at the complex housing thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees said Friday they have contained a viral outbreak that caused diarrhea and vomiting among hundreds of people.

About 700 people have been treated, with 40 still in isolation to contain the virus, said Dr. Hermenia Palacio, director of Harris County Public Health and Emergency Services.

The evacuees were sick with norovirus, the same easily spread bug that's made many cruise ship passengers sick. While the norovirus was relatively mild, doctors took the precaution of isolating some people to keep it from running rampant.


(Houston)

[Jamastiene]

1. Maybe the CDC and individual hospitals should run the whole shebang. That

sounds like the only thing anyone has at least tried to do right yet.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

15. Um, as a Coast Guard veteran I would like to point

out that the Coast Guard has done a phenominal job, as usual.

[gkhouston]

21. Quite true, and they've been working around the clock

for days on end. :applause: for the Coast Guard rescuers.

[kestrel91316]

2. Maintain better personal hygiene and you won't have this stuff.

It is spread largely hand-to-hand, or by fomites (doorknobs, kids' toys, telephone receivers, etc). Norwalk virus is one of the reasons why we wash our hands with soap and water after using the restroom. People of all sorts (even rich folks on cruise ships) are famous for neglecting this. It's so basic, but we don't consistently do it.

[Child_Of_Isis]

3. Probably when they caught it,

they didn't have access to soap and water. I don't even think those at the superdome had access to bathrooms after a few days. Not sanitary ones anyway.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. But they couldn't last week..odds are that is whn it began spreading

[bleedingheart]

7. My son will tell me how other boys don't wash their hands

after using the bathroom...and he says this..." I think they do this so they get sick and don't have to come to school"...

my boy has a touch of OCD and handwashing is something he does a lot of...

[tammywammy]

10. One of the grossest things I've ever seen

I was at a restaurant, and I went to the bathroom. While I was washing my hands, I saw another girl leave without washing hers. Well, when I went back to my seat, she was sitting close by. I then watched as she and her date then shared chips & queso. It was really gross.

[recycledindi]

4. test?

please don't let this be some type of horrible government experiment. it's happened before.

[liberalnurse]

5. I sense it is Hepatitis A.

It will run it's course without serious complications unless one is frail.

[Olney Blue]

8. Vomiting and diarrhea are characteristic of norovirus,

not Hepatitis A. However, I suspect there will indeed be plenty of Hepatitis A there too.

[andyarundel]

11. Hepatitis C combined with A or B is very dangerous

Short note, being that close to 5% of those from NOLA may also have Hepatitis C, an infection with either hepatitis A or B would be deadly for those currently infected with Hepatitis C, which is an epidemic, especially with income compromised citizens.

[Olney Blue]

12. Hi, Andyarundel!

Welcome to DU!

Are you a fellow Marylander?

[andyarundel]

16. there are a few arundels

Quebec, Maine, England but one night this past Jan almost made it to the top of Anne Arundel hospital to change the name..lol

I live in Canada and am involved with advocacy in the Hepatitis C area both in Canada and the United States.

[CountAllVotes]

14. Hepatitis A

Not seen YET. Takes 21 days to "incubate".

:scared:

[gkhouston]

22. yep -- my understanding is they've been giving the folks in the

Astrodome Hep A vaccines and tetanus boosters and who knows what else because of the conditions they were exposed to prior to evacuation. I expect the same is true of other shelters.

[merwin]

9. Funny, Randi predicted this exact condition on her show a week ago...

and was laughed at by a caller.

[teknomanzer]

13. It was an obvious prediction...

I discussed with someone the possibility of dysentery, cholera, and yellow fever... All of which NOLA and the region have had a historical problem with. The flood waters are a stagnate soup of toxins and disease carrying organisms... people were wading through sewage. An outbreak was bound to occur... lets hope that someone somewhere has the foresight to contain it as they spread people all over the country.

[Javaman]

17. Norovirus = Cholera

A rose by any other name...

[iverglas]

18. a statement based on - ?

Norovirus, by definition, is a virus.

Cholera is a bacterial infection.

http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/cholera/menu.htm

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection
resulting in profuse watery diarrhoea;
it is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/norovirus/menu.htm

(Norwalk-like Virus, Small Round Structured
Virus/SRSV)

Norovirus is the most common cause of
infectious gastroenteritis in England
and Wales. Although relatively mild,
Norovirus illness can occur at any age
because immunity to it is not long-lasting.
The syndrome is commonly referred to as
“winter vomiting disease” due to its
seasonality and typical symptoms.
Outbreaks of Norovirus gastroenteritis are
common in semi-closed environments such as
hospitals, nursing homes, schools and
cruise ships.


Like so many infectious diseases from the common cold on up, it is dangerous to already fragile people but causes only discomfort to most people. The outbreak seems to have been pretty predictable, difficult to prevent and well handled.

[NickB79]

19. Cholera is a bacterial infection, not viral

Many bacteria and viruses cause these symptoms, not just cholera. Norovirus is most definitely NOT closely related to cholera.

[Javaman]

20. Oh,I know they are two different animals, my point was...

There were a couple of reports of cholera last week, but the last thing this idiot* wants to get out is, that there is an out break. So they tell us something else.

Something that sounds none threatening, "Nanovirus, yeah, that's good!"

If they let out there was cholera in the general pop, the repuke party would, instead of the gradual decline it's in now, nosedive.

That's why I put, "a rose by any other name".

colossal failure*.

[Submariner]

23. This must be part of the "FUN" Tom 'Ahole" DeLay was

telling the kiddies about. What a warm turd he is.