Jan 9, 2008 5:00 am US/Eastern
Health: Virus Shuts Down Section Of Pa. Hospital
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS 3) ―
Lehigh Valley Hospital closed its Transitional Skilled Unit Tuesday after 24 patients and 23 staff members became sick with a form of viral gastroenteritis.
The unit made up of mostly elderly patients is located at 17th and Chew Streets in Allentown.
Hospital officials said they have taken steps to stop the spread of the stomach bug including isolating patients and disinfecting the facility.
"We are not sure how long the unit is going to be closed. Currently that's going to be dictated by the number of patients that have symptoms or the number of new patients that are identified and the same is true about our employees," said Terry Burger, director of infection control at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
This isn't the first time the hospital has experienced an outbreak like this.
In February of 2006, the same unit was closed after several dozen employees and patients were sickened with a stomach bug.
Lab tests have yet to confirm the source of the outbreak; however, symptoms suggest it could be a highly contagious Norovirus.
The symptoms of Norovirus include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low- grade fever, headache and general sense of tiredness.
It's especially dangerous for babies and the older people. Hand washing can significantly reduce the spread of the disease.
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