When you thought the fire camp evacuees could not get worse, the Butte County Public Health Department on Thursday reported an outbreak of norovirus in an evacuation shelter in Chico and maybe three others.

Lisa Almaguer, communications manager of the Department of Public Health, said that the laboratory had confirmed to her the presence of an outbreak of norovirus at the shelter of Chico Church, run by the Cross Red American.

A spokesman for the Red Cross was not contacted Thursday for comments, but Almaguer said in a statement that 21 of the 179 evacuees to the shelter were ill.

Those who have fallen ill have since been isolated from others and use separate bathrooms and wash basins, she said.

In addition, additional medical staff and other measures were taken to support the shelter and help others stop the spread of the disease.

Butte County Public Health Officer Andy Miller said norovirus could spread quickly.

"Norovirus started to spread in our community even before the fires," he said.

According to Mr. Almaguer, although similar cases have been reported in other Butte County evacuation shelters, the case has not yet been confirmed by the laboratory to be due to norovirus.

"The number of sick people is increasing every day"

Norovirus is a very contagious disease. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. It is spread by contact with surfaces contaminated by the virus, by close contact with an infected person or by the consumption or consumption of something contaminated.

This is the leading cause of diarrhea and vomiting outbreaks in the United States and it is spreading rapidly in schools, shelters and places where many people are nearby.

Almaquer said the Department of Public Health was taking a number of steps to separate sick people from healthy people.

Since the shelters were opened to accommodate evacuees from the camp, 145 people have been affected by these symptoms, the health department said.

According to the ministry, 10 of the 352 evacuees from the church in Oroville Nazarene were ill Wednesday night, while 9 of the 142 evacuees from the Butte County Fair in Gridley were also ill.

An evacuee from East Avenue Church in Chico was also sick.

"The number of sick people is increasing every day," said the Department of Public Health in a statement.

Twenty-five went to the hospital for medical support, the department said, adding that some hospitality workers were also sick.

There is no medicine to get rid of the virus and there is no vaccine. Most people are sick for one to three days and improve without medical assistance, the health department said.

Seniors, young children, and people with chronic illnesses may suffer from more serious illnesses, become dehydrated, and require medical support.

Norovirus particles are extremely small and billions of them are in the stool and vomit of infected people, health officials said.

Any vomit or diarrhea may contain norovirus and people can pass the virus on to other people for at least 48 hours after their symptoms disappear.

In the community at large, health officials have stated that people can protect themselves and others from norovirus by washing their hands often, rinsing fruits and vegetables, cooking shellfish, staying at home. sick house and avoiding preparing food for others.

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