Manor in Medford and Mountain View in Ashland report outbreaks of nausea, diarrhea are winding down

An outbreak of gastrointestinal virus has surfaced in two Jackson County retirement communities.

Some residents of Rogue Valley Manor in Medford and Mountain View Retirement Center in Ashland have been troubled by nausea and violent diarrhea that are commonly associated with the Norwalk virus or close relatives known as "noroviruses."

About 25 residents and workers at Mountain View have fallen ill since the virus surfaced, manager Jim Fuller said Wednesday. The Rogue Valley Manor could not provide a tally of how many people have been ill.

"It’s hard to say," said Brandi Maurer, health services administrator for the Manor. She said there have been "a few cases" in the Manor’s independent-living cottages, as well as the two high-rise towers and the Manor’s medical treatment center.

"We’ve got 940 people in a variety of living situations, so it’s hard to say how many have been sick," Maurer said.

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Fuller said the outbreak at Mountain View seems to be winding down because no new cases have surfaced since Monday.

Several Jackson County retirement communities have reported outbreaks of gastrointestinal virus within the past year. Residents of an Eagle Point assisted living community fell ill in November, and more than 100 residents and employees of two Medford nursing homes were sick in January 2003.

Fuller said Mountain View employees have been sanitizing the building nightly to halt the outbreak. Residents who felt ill were asked to remain in their rooms and workers who attend them have worn gowns and masks to protect themselves.

"We think we’ve got it pretty well under control," Fuller said.

Maurer said workers at the Manor have taken similar precautions. Manor residents who were in medical treatment areas were isolated to prevent the virus from spreading, but those restrictions have been lifted.

The noroviruses are named after the Norwalk virus, which was identified as the source of an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1972. They are also known as "cruise ship viruses" because they sometimes appear on those vessels, infecting large numbers of passengers and crew.

Symptoms usually appear 48 to 72 hours after exposure. Vomiting is usually a prominent symptom. Diarrhea tends to be watery and less severe than gastroenteritis caused by bacteria.

Affected people may also have headaches, low-grade fever, chills and abdominal cramps or stomach ache.

The viruses often spread rapidly in the confines of nursing homes, said Gary Stevens, Jackson County’s director of environmental health. Why they spread so fast and frequently in nursing homes is still something of a mystery, Stevens said.

He said the viruses may be carried into retirement centers by nonresidents or contaminated materials.

People who live in retirement centers may become sicker than members of the general population because seniors’ relatively cloistered living arrangements may prevent them from acquiring immunity to the viruses that more vigorous people acquire in daily life.

The virus can be transmitted long after sick people recover. Stevens said some people have tested positive for the virus up to seven days after they no longer had symptoms.

Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail bkettler@mailtribune.com