Norovirus suspected in series of illnesses in Washington state

Norovirus suspected in series of illnesses in Washington state

More than 200 people have gotten ill after swimming in a Washington lake last week.

Health and park officials from the state of Washington have decided to close down Horseshoe Lake County Park temporarily after a series of stomach related illnesses were reported by people who swam in a lake within the park.

Located southwest of Seattle, the park has received over 200 complaints from people who experienced stomach distress within a day or two of swimming in the park.

Officials from the Kitsap Public Health District are working with the Kitsap County Parks and Recreation Department to test the water for norovirus, which is suspected to be behind the outbreak. While tests are pending, the bathroom facilities are being sanitized as a precautionary measure.

Health officials have recommended that anyone who has gotten ill since visiting the park from Jul. 10 to Jul. 13 should call their local health district.

Symptoms of the norovirus include “explosive” diarrhea, vomiting, and cramping in the stomach. Symptoms typically resolve themselves within one to two days, but a person may remain contagious for up to two weeks after symptoms first present themselves. It is an easily transmittable disease that can spread rapidly in contained spaces, such as daycares, dormitories, or nursing homes. People can contract the illness through contact with an infected person’s feces or vomit, or if a infected person handles food.

Other reports this year of norovirus-related illness have come from several sources. Oregon had to close its Blue Lake Regional Park after two families reportedly contracted the virus after swimming there. Two cruise ships this year have also reported norovirus illnesses; the Princess Cruise’s Crown Princess reported their outbreak in April while the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas reported theirs in February.

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