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36 people sickened with vomiting and diarrhea at Greeley summer camp

In all, 32 kids and four adults got sick with vomiting and diarrhea at a summer camp in Greeley. Staffers at the University of Northern Colorado where the camp was being held quickly quarantined the sick and sterilized the dining hall and resident areas.
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WELD COUNTY — Norovirus is suspected after 36 people, mostly children, became ill with vomiting and diarrhea after attending a summer camp in Greeley.

The students were attending a summer enrichment camp at the University of Northern Colorado when 32 of them fell ill. Four adults also got sick.

According to a release from the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, university officials quickly isolated the sick campers and staff and began immediate disinfection of the dining hall and residential areas.

“The university has been very proactive in addressing this illness,” said Mark E. Wallace, executive director of the Weld County Health Department.

The university has suspended the summer camp and the public is reportedly not at risk. Samples have been collected and are being sent to the state lab for testing. It will take about a week to receive the results, though norovirus is suspected.

Norovirus (once known as the stomach flu) is a highly-contagious bug that can make anyone sick. It’s the leading cause of outbreaks of diarrhea and vomiting in the United States.

Norovirus spreads by contact with an infected person by touching a contaminated surface or eating contaminated food or water.

The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Other symptoms include fever, headache and body aches.

The incubation period for norovirus can be anywhere from 12 to 48 hours after exposure. There are no medications to prevent or cure norovirus.

One of the most common complications from norovirus is dehydration.

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