The Ile Camera
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Outbreak
Patients are quarantined in Trenton medical center
By Bobby Ampezzan, The News-Herald
PUBLISHED: January 26, 2007
TRENTON — Staff and administrators at Oakwood Southshore Medical Center were forced to contain a small viral outbreak. Visitation to one unit of the hospital was restricted beginning Tuesday.
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In all, 18 patients — 12 women and six men — were suffering from viral symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea.
The hospital clinically limited the symptoms to norovirus/Norwalk viral gastroenteritis, according to Dr. Joyce Vaclav, a specialist in infectious diseases.
"This outbreak at Southshore is one of many," she said. "The (state) health department has been reporting cases since the end of November."
According to the nationnal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noroviruses cause acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines) and are transmitted primarily by ingesting fecally contaminated food or water, or by contact with an infected person.
The incubation period is usually one to two days, and symptoms include acute-onset vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, nausea and a low-grade fever.
Vaclav said the virus is "very communicable."
The outbreak began when a patient was admitted to the intermediate care unit suffering from the virus.
Before he was diagnosed, the norovirus had spread to other patients and staff.
The last case admitted was Monday night.
Vaclav said the illness is not fatal and, in fact, only in severe cases would adults likely admit themselves to hospital care. According to the CDC, most people feel well within 24 to 48 hours, but contagion can linger between three days and two weeks after recovery.
The infection is "self-limited," Vaclav said, which means the body is capable of fighting the infection, and symptoms will not return.
The most common complication is dehydration, especially among the very young or old, according to the CDC.
Once the outbreak was diagnosed, staff at Southshore closed the unit. As of yesterday, no visitors were allowed inside the unit.
The intermediate care unit is on the first floor of the hospital. Tom Worobec, a spokesman for the hospital, said all operations outside of the unit were continuing uninterrupted.
Once the hospital has discharged the last affected patient, it will reopen the unit.
Vaclav said she does not expect to see many new cases.
"Usually these outbreaks involve a relatively small number of people," she said.
Because of laws governing medical privacy, the hospital would not release the hometown of the first patient with the norovirus.
Vaclav advised anyone suffering from similar symptoms to stay home from work or school, to rest and maintain fluids, and to take Tylenol when needed.
For caretakers, the CDC recommends frequent washing of hands and clothing, and washing any contaminated surfaces with bleach.
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