Vegas virus sickened 49 this month

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

Nevada health officials recorded 49 cases of a stomach flu-like virus from Las Vegas in the first eight days of this month despite ramped-up cleaning efforts at the California Hotel and Casino.

Dave Tonelli, spokesman for the Clark County Health District, yesterday said of the 284 cases reported from Dec. 3 through Monday, 37 people were sick in December, 80 in January, 118 in February and 49 this month.

Tonelli said health officials are continuing to search for the source of the Norwalk virus, which generally causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. The focus has been on the California Hotel because most of the people who got sick stayed, ate or gambled there.

Boyd Gaming Corp. spokesman Rob Stillwell yesterday said the hotel's stepped-up cleaning measures went into effect two weeks ago. He believes the case numbers are increasing as more people hear about the outbreak through news stories and call health officials to report their illness.

Tonelli said the main health risk is dehydration. "For the typical person in good health, this is a condition that's going to last maybe a day or two." However, several people told The Advertiser that their elderly relatives were hospitalized after getting a stomach flu in Las Vegas.

Ruby Nuivo of Lihu'e, Kaua'i, said she was sick three days out of five on a Las Vegas trip in October. She said on the flight on Omni Air — the charter airline that flies California Hotel guests from Hawai'i on package tours — the bathroom reeked of urine so much so that she complained to the flight attendants and couldn't eat her meal.

"The place smelled so stink," said Nuivo, who requests airline seats near the bathrooms because she uses a wheelchair. "It's just like they never cleaned 'em."

Omni Air International managing director Chuck Pollard yesterday said the plane that ferries visitors from Honolulu to Las Vegas six times a week is cleaned under the same standards as any major airline.

Since the illnesses were reported, that cleaning schedule has intensified greatly, he said, using cleaners with hospital-grade disinfectant.

The Tulsa, Okla.-based company has been flying the Honolulu charter since early last year.

"We're doing special cleaning of the aircraft that goes far beyond normal aircraft cleaning procedures," Pollard said.

That also means throwing out the blankets and pillows used after each flight, he said. "We put all fresh pillows and blankets," he said.

Lorraine and Ted Freitas, of Crestview, visited Las Vegas Feb. 18-22. Ted Freitas, 72, became ill on the last day of the trip. Lorraine Freitas was sick on the plane.

Once home, Ted's illness worsened. He went to see his doctor at Kaiser on Wednesday and had emergency abdominal surgery for a severe bacterial infection the following day.

"Nothing like this ever happened to me," Freitas said. "I spent eight days in the hospital."

He hopes Las Vegas officials figure out what's making people sick. "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy," he said.

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