The Noro virus

A woman in her 80s died Jan. 5 at a nursing home in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, after 46 residents and staff at the facility began suffering from diarrhea and vomiting Dec. 28, the prefectural government said.

The other 45 people are recovering, it said.

Health officials visit a nursing home in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Elsewhere, 51 elderly people developed similar symptoms in Hokkaido, along with 21 in Kitakyushu, 37 in the city of Miyazaki, 15 in northern Yamaguchi Prefecture, 35 in the city of Wakayama and 54 in Akita Prefecture, according to tallies released by prefectural authorities through Jan. 9.

The revelation comes after the mysterious death of seven people from diarrhea and vomiting at a nursing home in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Health officials in Fukuyama announced Jan. 9 that they have found the contagious Noro virus, symptoms of which include vomiting, diarrhea and fever, in the feces of nine of the residents at Fukuyama Fukujuen nursing home.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 15, 2005
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