KXLY.com
Friday, July 14th, 2006
News4 Staff
SPOKANE — Health officials at Sacred Heart Medical Center confirm that 37 people have contracted norovirus in the adult psych department at the hospital.
Officials say the norovirus outbreak has been confined to the adult psych unit.
Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”), which is characterized by acute-onset vomiting; watery, non-bloody diarrhea with abdominal cramps, and nausea.
Onset of the illness can be very sudden, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and symptoms can last between 24 to 48 hours.