Diamond wedding is hit by Norovirus bug

Fifty guests at a diamond wedding party in Wolverhampton were struck down with Norovirus prompting a city-wide alert to GPs.

The outbreak of the bug occurred after the anniversary party in Tettenhall. Everyone is understood to have now recovered but guests had to answer questions from doctors and the Health Protection Agency.

Wolverhampton City Council said tests of food samples indicated it was a viral infection and nothing to do with the venue itself or caterers.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA), Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust and the council worked together to establish the cause of the 50 cases of diarrhoea and vomiting and confirmed it was Norovirus.

PCT spokesman Michelle Beddow said: "The cases were all found in people who had attended a family celebration in Wolverhampton at the end of March.

"Staff and caterers cooperated fully with the investigation and GPs in Wolverhampton were sent a letter advising what to do if patients presented with symptoms related to the incident. Affected guests were asked to submit samples and answer a set of questions to help establish what caused the illness.

"As part of the investigation, environmental health officers from the council also visited the premises and caterers to take food samples for testing. "

Dr Tina Maddison, consultant with the West Midlands West Health Protection Unit said: "Laboratory results have confirmed that the bug causing the illness is Norovirus and the majority of the guests who attended the event live locally and appear to be recovering well.

"Norovirus can be spread easily from person to person and it is important for anyone who has had symptoms to remember to remain away from school, nursery or work until they have been symptom free for at least 48 hours."

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Gurdip Thandi confirmed that all tests had so far concluded the illness was not related to food poisoning.