More returning from Vegas with Norwalk virus

Poll: Would you visit Las Vegas now, even though many Hawai'i residents who go there catch the Norwalk virus?

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer

The number of Las Vegas tourists who reported getting sick after visiting the California Hotel and Casino has nearly tripled since last week, and most of them are from Hawai'i, a Nevada health official said yesterday.

An image of the Norwalk virus (norovirus). F.P. Williams • EPA

Virus sickens 23 million people every year In Las Vegas, Clark County health officials are continuing to investigate the cause of a Norwalk virus (also known as a norovirus) that has sickened nearly 300 visitors to the California Hotel and Casino with gastroenteritis or stomach flu since Dec. 3. Norwalk virus, named after an outbreak in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1972, is the most common type of food-borne illness and affects 23 million people a year. It causes stomach flu with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping and sometimes, fever, chills, headache and a feeling of tiredness. The virus is transmitted when someone comes into contact with the vomit or stool of someone infected with the virus: through direct contact with the person; by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then putting their hands in their mouth; or by eating or drinking something contaminated with the virus. Usually, the disease is not serious and goes away within a day or two, but it can be more serious among the very young, old or frail. Who to call If you or someone else who has traveled to Las Vegas recently got sick with these symptoms, officials ask that you call the Clark County Health District's epidemiology section at (702) 383-1378. To prevent the virus • Wash hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating or preparing food. • Wash fruits and vegetables before eating and steam oysters. • Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces by using cleaners that contain bleach. • Wash clothes and linens that could be contaminated with hot water and soap. • Clean and disinfect the bathroom after vomiting or diarrhea occurs.

The count last week had been 103. Officials said they expect the case count to grow as more people hear about the outbreak from news reports and call Nevada officials to report their illnesses.

Some people became so sick they went to the hospital, several Hawai'i residents told The Advertiser .

Clark County health officials are still searching for clues to the source of the outbreak, which has hit people who stayed at or visited the California Hotel, which caters heavily to a Hawai'i clientele with local food and an Island ambiance.

Maxson said 131 of the reported cases are of people who became ill since Feb. 15, and that some of the illnesses have occurred this month.

He said the hotel has cooperated fully with the health department, providing reports and increasing sanitation throughout the property.

Maxson said health officials are also still investigating the Omni Air planes chartered to take visitors from Hawai'i to Las Vegas through Vacations Hawai'i, which is part of Boyd Gaming Corp., owners of the California Hotel.

Sandi Amaral, of Kula, Maui, flew on Omni to stay at the California Feb. 8 in a party of seven that included her elderly parents, two aunties and two adult sons. All of them got sick, she said. "It was just a horrible ordeal," she said.

Amaral said her father passed out in his wheelchair, was rushed to an emergency room and ended up hospitalized for three days. She said she had never seen her mother so sick.

Rob Stillwell, spokesman for Boyd Gaming Corp., said some people have canceled reservations at the hotel since the news broke last week about the virus.

He said he did not have an exact number of those who backed out of their vacation plans because of the virus. "It's only a few," Stillwell said. "We were full this weekend." He estimated that as many as 10,000 people pass through the California Hotel and Casino each day, including those who stay at nearby hotels.

Stillwell said the company is hearing more from people wanting information about what's going on at the popular Hawai'i vacation destination. "They're needing some reassurance that we're doing everything we can."

He said visitors will see clearly that the hotel has stepped up cleaning and is encouraging visitors to increase their thorough hand-washing to fight the risk of catching a virus. "That will go a long way to preventing illness, any illness," Stillwell said.

Dave Tonelli, spokesman for the Clark County Health District, said the hotel has been cooperative and continues to ramp up its cleaning efforts. "We're now at the state-of-the-art measures," he said. "It's probably one of the cleanest places in Las Vegas."

The hotel now cleans with a hospital-grade disinfectant; hands out germ-fighting alcohol towelettes in the casinos; and, to clean rooms, brought in an industrial-type fogger that penetrates mattresses, curtains, carpets and other surfaces that can't be wiped down with a bleach-based cleaner. Those measures began three weeks ago, Tonelli said.

"They're also serving all their drinks out of disposable cups," Tonelli said.

At least 30 people have called or e-mailed the Advertiser since Friday to say they or someone in their traveling party to Las Vegas had been ill on a recent trip. Many said they had stayed at or visited the California Hotel.

Among them was Henry Chang, 80, of 'Aina Koa. He and his wife, Mew Yin, flew to Las Vegas Feb. 29 and his wife became ill shortly after breakfast. "For two days, she was good for nothing," he said, but she recovered enough to catch their scheduled flight home on March 2.

He wants to know why he wasn't warned about an illness in Las Vegas by the tour company or hotel. "I was wondering how come nobody said anything," Chang said.

Tonelli said he's working with Boyd officials to prepare a notice to give to visitors urging them to wash their hands frequently, drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and get a lot of rest.

Maxson said he fielded at least one call from a woman wanting to know if she should cancel her Las Vegas visit. He told her people with recent history of cancer, AIDS or some other problem with their immune system should consult their doctor.

For others, he saw no extraordinary risk. "The hotel is doing everything it can," Maxson said. "As I told this woman, I would stay at the hotel."

Liz Grinder, of Makiki, said she got sick on a Las Vegas trip on Super Bowl weekend in January. "It was miserable."

She said the illness began with a severe headache and developed into a stomach flu. She questioned if the virus could be coming from the airplane. "I noticed that the bathroom was filthy," she said, so dirty that her shoes stuck to the floor. Stillwell of Boyd Gaming said he would look into the reports that the plane was dirty.

After Grinder returned home, she said she found that others had been sick during their travels. "There are a lot of people who got sick and didn't report it," Grinder said. "I thought it was only me — how once in a blue moon you get the stomach flu."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.