Public Health Wales investigating norovirus outbreak at the Hilton Hotel in Langstone, Newport

 “Investigations carried out by Newport City Council’s environmental health team indicate that the illness was consistent with a viral infection passed from person to person, most likely norovirus.”

Control measures have been put in place at the hotel to prevent the spread of the infection.

South Wales Argus reports, a spokesman for Hilton Worldwide said: “Unfortunately a number of guests and team members at Hilton Newport recently contracted symptoms consistent with norovirus, a virus passed from person to person. “At Hilton Newport the well-being of both guests and team members is of paramount importance and as such, stringent existing health and safety procedures were immediately enacted as soon as we became aware of the reported illness.”

Norovirus is a highly contagious illness caused by infection with a virus of the same name. It is often called by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.

The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people, the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults do.

Norovirus is spread person to person particularly in crowded, closed places. Norovirus is typically spread through contaminated food and water, touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth and close contact with someone who is vomiting or has diarrhea.

Public Health Wales says because the virus is easily passed from person to person, it is important that anyone who has had vomiting or diarrhoea should not return to work or school for 48 hours after their last symptoms.

 

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