What began with a dozen Las Vegas guests feeling a little under the weather has ballooned into concerns about the possibility of a contagious stomach virus being spread. At this point there are over a hundred presumed cases of infected individuals, though the total number has yet to be confirmed. At least a dozen children between the age of seven and nine were infected, having come to Las Vegas as part of a group of traveling football players. About fifty players and staff came from Santa Monica, CA. Another twenty-five came from Bakersfield, CA. Nine teams at present report that at least some of their players and parents have been infected.
Many of the infected persons had taken part in a Thanksgiving dinner and Friday evening more and more people began to complain of feeling ill. The The exact nature and origin of the virus is a mystery. These are symptoms which one expert says is typical of a norovirus, however there are some who feel that the contagious flu-like illness is simply a virus that is going around the Western United States. The team traveled for over two days, and there is really no definite time or place where health officials can pin down that the virus started circulating.
Viruses of this kind are typically food or water-borne, so it is possible that someone could have eaten or drank something that lead to illness. Though the nature of the virus also allows for contact with surfaces such as bathroom doors and hotel room light switches. The troubling part remains that the persons could have been infected any number of places in Las Vegas, or perhaps even before arriving.
For now, all known infected individuals are being treated at a Las Vegas hospital as concerned friends and family members wait for more information. There have been no fatalities and it is hoped that everyone makes a full recovery.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
