| August
22, 2006
Joint statement from Marquette
County Health Department
and Marquette General Hospital
An increased
incidence of sudden-onset nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which
is occasionally severe, is being reported to Marquette General
Health System and the Marquette County Health department.
According to the Marquette County Health Department, the specific
cause has not yet been determined; however, the clinical disease
and ease of contagion suggests a norovirus-like illness.
According to Dr. Randall Johnson of the Marquette County Health
Department and Infectious Disease Specialist Dr.
Jeff Gephart of Marquette General Health System, the usual
mode of transmission is fecal-oral, and includes direct contact
with infected individuals (hand shaking, touching, hugging, or
other personal contact); consuming contaminated food or liquids
(ie those that have been handled or touched in any way by a person
with the illness), and contact with surfaces or objects contaminated
with feces or vomitus from an ill person.
To prevent infection, hands should be washed frequently and for
a duration of 20 seconds. For cleanup of contaminated surfaces,
a 10% bleach solution left on the surface for 20 minutes is advised.
For detailed information on clean-up as a precaution in the event
of a norovirus-like illness, information is posted on the Michigan.gov
website at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Guidelines_for_Environmental_Cleaning_125846_7.pdf.
Until August 29, people who are ill with sudden-onset
nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea are requested to refrain from visiting
patients at Marquette General Hospital. Anyone
with those symptoms should avoid contact with others, and should
not handle or prepare food for others, until 48-72 hours after
the symptoms have subsided.
Information on norovirus infections and other forms of viral gastroenteritis
can be obtained by visiting the Marquette County Health Department
website at http://www.mqthealth.org.
For any questions, please contact the Marquette County Health
Department at 475-7844.
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