Community Corner

Youth Football Teams Ill from Possible Norovirus Outbreak in Las Vegas

Health officials won't be able to confirm norovirus until test results return.

A Santa Monica youth football team returned home Sunday after becoming violently ill in what might be an outbreak of the norovirus at a youth football championships over the weekend in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Norovirus is one of the more potent forms of what most people erroneously refer to as the stomach flu and can be deadly in children and older adults with weaken immune system, according to the Review-Journal.

More than half of the players from the Santa Monica Vikings Mitey Mites and Junior Pee Wees were afflicted with the illness and some had to be hospitalized, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The teams were competing in the National Youth Football Championships and staying at the Rio, where close 80 people were afflicted with the illness, the Huffington Post reports.

Las Vegas health officials won't be able to confirm norovirus until test results come back, which may take up to a week according to NBC.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The illness was not the only thing the Mitey Mites and Junior Pee Wees picked up in Vegas; the teams placed second and first, respectively, in the championships.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here