Stomach illnesses increase locally

By Timothy Pratt

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003 | 11:30 a.m.

The Las Vegas metropolitan area is seeing a sudden increase in people complaining of stomach illnesses, the Clark County Health District said.

The district's office of epidemiology has seen about double the number of people suffering from diarrhea and vomiting for periods lasting from 36 to 48 hours in recent weeks, Patricia Rowley, epidemiology manager, said.

"It appears to be countywide and we can't detect any particular source," Rowley said.

The health district said the cases have not been laboratory-tested because people suffering from symptoms have not been willing to provide the district with stool samples.

The absence of laboratory tests has caused health district officials to rely heavily on information given to them by people suffering from symptoms, Rowley said.

"We look to see if there are any common denominators," she said. "Thus far we haven't been able to come up with a particular venue."

Officials have ruled out restaurants and the water supply as the possible source of the illness, Rowley said.

Rowley said the symptoms are likely caused by a virus, meaning antibiotics aren't effective in treating the condition. Viruses are generally passed through direct contact with an infected individual.

"This is most likely a virus," Rowley said. "Viruses are passed very easily from person to person."

Rowley said most people don't seek medical help for the condition, since it is generally short-lived.

"A lot of people are probably not seeking ... care, since most people have a certain threshold by which they're willing to wait," she said.

Still, Cheryl Persinger, spokeswoman for the University Medical Center, said that Quick Care centers throughout the valley have received an increase in patients with the symptoms described by the health district.

Mike Hutchins, medical director for the Quick Care center at West Sahara Avenue and Fort Apache Road, said he has seen a 10 percent to 15 percent increase in patients with stomach illnesses in recent weeks.

The symptoms usually have no lasting impact, except in some cases where people become dehydrated and may need medical attention. Severe dehydration is usually seen only among the very young, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Hutchins said most patients don't exhibit fevers or stomach pain and so receive little treatment other than for dehydration or to stop the vomiting.

The illness is very contagious and can be spread via eating contaminated foods or drinking contaminated liquids, touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth or eye, and being in direct contact with an infected person, according to the Health District.

A person may be contagious from the moment they feel ill to at least three days after recovery. People exhibiting symptoms should not attend school or work until they recover and should wash their hands frequently, health officials said.

Other than that, Hutchins said there was little patients could do to improve their condition.

"You just have to wait it out -- and that's why it has spread through the valley so quickly," he said.