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150 Inmates Sickened At Las Vegas Jail

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Mar 21, 2007 3:27 pm US/Eastern

150 Inmates Sickened At Las Vegas Jail

LAS VEGAS (AP) ―

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A norovirus outbreak sickened at least 150 inmates and seven guards at the county jail, authorities said Wednesday as crews tried to decontaminate the building.

Most of those sickened since Saturday complained of stomach-related distress such as diarrhea, vomiting and cramps, said Brian Labus, senior epidemiologist with the Southern Nevada Health District in Las Vegas. None was hospitalized.

"It's going to make people feel miserable for a couple of days, but they will recover after it runs its course," he said.

The Clark County jail was closed to visitors Tuesday but was reopened Wednesday.

Many of the sickened inmates were kitchen workers, police said, leading officials to think the virus might have been spread throughout the 3,100-bed detention center by contaminated food or trays.

Labus said the outbreak may be related to a norovirus wave in the Las Vegas area that he estimated had sickened thousands of people since December.

Noroviruses are members of a family of viruses and have sickened large groups on cruise ships and in places such as hotels, schools, prisons and nursing homes.