Norovirus Outbreak 2015: 200 people reportedly got sick during the Russell Tower incidence

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All food vendors in a downtown Seattle Russell Tower have been closed down by health officials after the norovirus outbreak where nearly 200 cases have already been reported, according to Seattle Times.

As of now, it is expected that more cases are likely to be reported in the next few days. Therefore, there is still a possibility for the number of cases to get higher than expected.

There was a catered event held at the Russell Investment Center, 1301 Second Ave. on Tuesday. There were 600 people who participated in the event. 200 of the 600 guests completed a survey and 150 of 200 survey participants reported the symptoms of norovirus. The other 50 cases were said to be reported before the event and were reported directly to the agency.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that norovirus is a highly contagious illness. A person can get the virus from contaminated water, contaminated food, and infected person. Therefore, the disease can spread very rapidly.

Norovirus causes your intestine and/or stomach to get inflamed, and can lead to acute gastroenteritis. As a result, a person might feel and experience diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting. Anyone can be a victim of this virus - there is no exception. A person can get norovirus multiple times in his life. The disease can be very serious, especially to the aged and young ones.

The virus is considered to be the most common cause that triggers acute gastroenteritis in the United States.

Dr. Meagan Kay, a medical epidemiologist for communicable diseases with the health department, said that handrails, door knobs, and other things can easily be contaminated by the virus. She said that they are expecting the number of norovirus cases to increase rapidly at this time of the year considering that it can be passed on from person to person.

As a precaution, health officials shut down all the food vendors in the building. They also made sure that the building has been thoroughly cleaned over the weekend. They also recommended the people to be careful about sanitation and handwashing.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the norovirus outbreak in Seattle is the latest public health concern of the city. It followed the E. Coli outbreak that affected 42 people in Portland and Seattle, Ore. after dining at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. restaurants. To prevent further cases, Chipotle voluntarily closed all of its branches in the city.