2010021105

Over 150 People Get Sick At Raleigh Youth Convention

By R.Gregg, Raleigh Telegram

Week Of Thursday, February 11, 2010

RALEIGH - According to the Wake County Emergency Medical Services over 150 people got sick over the weekend due to a rotovirus after they attended a conference at the downtown Raleigh Convention Center.

Wake County EMS said they responded to multiple calls of sick people, all of whom were attending the statewide YMCA Youth and Government conference in downtown Raleigh.

Students and advisors began “experiencing nausea and vomiting overnight” on Friday, February 12th and on morning Saturday, February 13th, say officials.

At the time, more than 150 people were evaluated at the Sheraton Hotel, at 42 South Salisbury Street, where the guests were staying with around 15 people requiring more serious medical care.

“At this time, we don’t know the cause of the illness,” said Wake County EMS Medical Director Brent Myers on Saturday. “We are working with the Wake County epidemiological team to investigating the cause of this illness. It is important that parents of the young people attending the conference know that we are taking good care of everyone.”

According to later reports, the Raleigh Convention Center said that they did not believe the rotovirus originated at the dinner on Friday night because it did not have time to incubate.

However, officials have not stated for certain whether the students and advisors caught the virus at the Sheraton Hotel or the convention center and the cause remains unclear.

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