Stomach flu sweeping through Corpus Christi

Water supply tested; no links to specific cause, officials say

By Mike Baird Caller Times
May 6, 2006

Stomach flu sweeping through Corpus Christi has caused emergency rooms to bulge for a few days, but is subsiding, health officials said.

Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial emergency room physicians notified Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District Wednesday of an increase in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, said Dr. William Burgin, health authority for the city and county.

"We sent our epidemiologists out to gather information and interview patients," Burgin said Friday.

Bay Area and Doctor's Regional hospitals also saw patients with stomach distress and vomiting, Burgin said, but he didn't have specific numbers.

Stomach flu is known medically as gastroenteritis. Causes include viruses, bacteria, or parasites from infected food or water that irritate the stomach and intestines.

"We've identified this illness as viral," Burgin said, "and we haven't linked it to any particular cause. It is short-lived, less than 36 hours."

Health officials tested the city's water supply and could not link infected patients to a particular common location or food consumption. No patients were hospitalized and most were treated for stomach upset, nausea and vomiting.