LA Wildfires Update as Norovirus Outbreak Reported at Shelter

The Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) said on Friday that there have been confirmed cases of norovirus at an evacuation shelter housing people who fled from the wildfires plaguing Los Angeles County.

Newsweek reached out to the California Department of Public Health via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Pasadena and Altadena were directly impacted by the deadly Eaton fire last week. The fire has grown to over 14,000 acres as of Friday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and is 65 percent contained.

Cases of norovirus, an illness that can cause symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, are on the rise in the United States. A new strain of norovirus may also be circulating, Epidemiologist Lynn Roberts with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services says.

What To Know

CNN reported, citing the PPHD, that three people at the American Red Cross-run shelter have tested positive for norovirus amid a cluster of 28 people who have experienced "acute gastrointestinal illness."

The shelter is located at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Volunteers carry water for evacuees from the Eaton fire at a donation center in Santa Anita Park on January 13. A norovirus outbreak at a Pasadena shelter was confirmed by officials on Friday. ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images

This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.