Opryland outbreak has companies canceling events

A Metro Public Health Department spokesperson said it is only when people contact the department to report their illness that officials can confirm a virus outbreak worthy of a public health advisory.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center contacted the health department Thursday morning after “a number of guests” fell ill. Metro Public Health Department officials announced Friday that the gastrointestinal illness outbreak reported at the hotel was likely norovirus.

Preliminary lab results taken Friday indicated at least one person tested positive for norovirus, and Monday the department issued a release that said two more cases of norovirus had been confirmed with lab tests.

Burba Isaacs, who attended a hardware trade show at the hotel Jan. 7-10, said both she and her husband became “horrendously ill” with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, associated with the highly contagious virus.

Companies have confirmed they have either canceled or moved meetings from the hotel after reports of employees becoming ill.

Jenny Kite, a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma, told The Tennessean via email Thursday that a number of attendees at the company’s corporate sales conference became ill, and the remainder of the conference was canceled.

Lilly Diabetes, which is a part of Eli Lilly and Company, issued a statement Tuesday that it was canceling meetings planned at Opryland.

“The health and safety of our employees is our top priority,” the company said. “After monitoring the situation at Opryland over the weekend, we did make the decision to cancel our meetings that were scheduled there for this week.”

The Tennessean has received multiple calls from people who have said they experienced symptoms of nausea and diarrhea after visiting the hotel.

Health Department spokesperson Brian Todd has said trying to identify whether a large number of people are getting sick at the hotel because of norovirus has been difficult.

He said the department needs to have proof of the cases of the illness and proof people did not have norovirus before visiting the hotel, especially, he said, at a time when the spread of norovirus and influenza is prevalent.

Todd commended the efforts of the hotel to sanitize its premises.

“The hotel is going above and beyond what we are asking them to do to to prevent the spread of this illness,” he said. “We were made aware of cases of illness on Thursday, and its been since Friday that we have known there was a case of norovirus.”

Todd said Norovirus is extremely contagious and spread by infected people, through food or water or on contaminated surfaces. He said the health department has been working with the hotel to disinfect the entire hotel, especially where sick guests have stayed.

Gaylord Spokesperson Jenny Barker issued a statement Tuesday saying hotel staff were continuing deep cleaning with special attention to meeting spaces and common areas.

Todd advised people who have been sick with symptoms of nausea or diarrhea after visiting the hotel to call 615-340-5632 or email nrd.notifiable@nashville.gov.

Holly Meyer contributed to this report.