50 sick: Norovirus the cause of Shropshire-area hotel illness outbreak

There’s about six new Norovirus outbreaks reported every day, but I choose this one today because I have a friend who lives in Shropshire, UK.

Deborah Hardiman of the Shropshire Star writes provisional tests carried out by Public Health England have confirmed that the group who attended the Buckatree Hall Hotel near Wellington on August 7 were struck down by the sickness bug norovirus, which was unlikely to have been spread by hotel staff.

This means that the illness that causes sickness had been spread by someone carrying the viral infection.

PHE said it was “unlikely that this is a member of staff at the hotel” due to no other reports among other guests who ate the same food falling ill.

Ann Fleming, Public Health England regional spokesperson, said: “We have just received confirmation that the samples from our laboratories have tested positive for norovirus.

“No other organisms has been detected so far.

“All the food samples have tested negative.

“There are no reports of illness in guests outside of the wedding party.”

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About Douglas Powell

A former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog.com, Powell is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s CV here. Dr. Douglas Powell editor, barfblog.com retired professor, food safety 3/289 Annerley Rd Annerley, Queensland 4103 dpowell29@gmail.com 61478222221 I am based in Brisbane, Australia, 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time