As many as 11 members of California’s delegation to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, are reporting symptoms consistent with norovirus, which causes an inflammation of the digestive tract, leading to “explosive bouts of vomiting and diarrhea,” according to STAT News. Peter Schade, health commissioner for Erie County, is investigating the possible outbreak, which is centered on a hotel housing delegates in nearby Sandusky.
“We’ve got about 11 who have been sick over the last few days, and we’ve been out there every day and working with them to eliminate the spread [between] the resort and the delegation from California,” Schade told STAT. The health commission will test Republican staffers today to determine whether or not the virus has made its way to the convention floor.
Norovirus is “a very contagious virus that can infect anyone,” according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “You can get it from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces.” If the delegates in question are in fact infected, the strain could spread quickly. It’s close quarters in Quicken Loans Arena.