Glasgow hotel Norovirus outbreak

A serious outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow july 2010 has been confirmed as Norovirus by health officials.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said a total of 83 people have shown symptoms of Norovirus since last Wednesday, including 63 guests and 20 members of staff. Two more guests at the hotel have shown symptoms in the past 48 hours.

Dr. Anne Scoular, NHS GGC Public Health Consultant and chair of the outbreak control team said: "Laboratory tests have now confirmed that this is a norovirus outbreak."We will continue to monitor the situation very closely but are seeing the number of cases decrease rapidly which is the norm with an outbreak of this type.
"Our advice to guests and staff in the hotel is to continue to follow strict hygiene rules including regular hand washing."

Staff are said to be recovering at home after being taken ill at the five-star hotel in Glasgow.

A Hilton Worldwide spokesperson said: "In response to the suspected viral infection Hilton Glasgow is following its own strict health and safety procedures, as well as working closely with the local health officials, and is providing all possible assistance to the hotel's guests and team members."

Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause  gastroenteritis. Passengers should be aware that a flu injection will not prevent Norovirus, and the symptoms can be passed on quickly. Norovirus may be referred to as food poisoning, but it is not always transmitted in food, and likewise, some types of food poisoning have nothing to do with the Norovirus bug. The symptoms come on suddenly, and symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and sometimes, fever.

Originally named after Norwalk, Ohio, where there was an outbreak of the virus in the 1970´s, Norovirus spreads quickly in hotels and in other relatively confined spaces.