Norovirus outbreak at VGH running its course, says health officer

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VANCOUVER – Health officials say an outbreak of the highly-contagious norovirus is nearly over at an acute care unit of Vancouver General Hospital.

If there are no further cases, the outbreak will be considered over on Friday, 96 hours after the last case was diagnosed.

A small outbreak on another unit at the hospital is also expected to be over soon, but medical health officer Dr. John Carsley says this has been a big year for norovirus — a gastrointestinal virus that spikes every three or four years.

Two wards of Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster were quarantined earlier after at least 18 people were infected by the virus, and that outbreak could also be declared over on Friday if there are no new cases.

There also have been outbreaks at five Metro Vancouver daycare centres and a half dozen regional facilities in recent weeks involving the infection, which is also known as Norwalk virus.

Carsley says there have been no deaths associated with these illnesses, which cause diarrhea and vomiting.

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