Nine elderly residents are among 25 in town who might have illness

About 25 people in Corvallis might be sick with norovirus, and the Benton County Health Department is investigating a suspected outbreak at an assisted living facility.

Nine elderly residents at Regency Park Place at Corvallis might have the illness, said Sandy Morgan, facility nurse. "There are no new cases today, so that is good news."

Near the OSU campus, the number of potential cases grew. Twelve members of Delta Gamma sorority also are now ill, up from 10 Wednesday afternoon.

"Four of those were seen in the emergency room and had to have IVs" on Wednesday night, said Bill Emminger, deputy administrator of the environmental health division of the Benton County Health Department.

Five members of Phi Delta Theta fraternity are also believed to be sick with norovirus.

Vomiting and diarrhea from norovirus, or stomach flu, can cause severe dehydration, especially in elderly people. At Park Place, staff were keeping a close eye on residents' hydration.

The sick individuals at the facility, which has about 40 residents, have been isolated in their rooms. The building's dining hall also has been shut down in an effort to halt the spread of norovirus.

Health officials stressed hand-washing as the best way to curb new outbreaks of the highly contagious illness.

"When you get into these group living situations, it's usually person-to-person transmission," Emminger said.

The health department is also recommending that those with symptoms not go to class or work.

Members of the two Greek houses frequently socialize together, but the Park Place outbreak doesn't appear to be connected, Emminger said.

None of the suspected cases have been confirmed with testing yet.

For any building with community-based living, norovirus is always a concern, said Robin Bemrose, executive director of Timberhill Place, an assisted living facility.

"We had an outbreak last winter, but we're doing fine now," she said.

"If you don't control it with the first person or two, it spreads like wildfire. It's nasty, nasty stuff to deal with, and it's really hard on the elderly," said Angie Metzger, a resident care coordinator at West Hills Assisted Living Community.

Metzger said that staff clean thoroughly every shift and are trained to wash hands frequently - especially before they touch residents' food.

Norovirus takes a day or two to incubate, so an outbreak can spread before the first person shows signs of being sick. Symptoms usually last for a day or two, but the illness is contagious for about three days after symptoms lessen.

Kyle Odegard covers Oregon State University. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.