Suspected norovirus outbreak sickens 120 people in Taiwan

About 120 people at a tourist farm known for its cherry blossoms in central Taiwan reported diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms of norovirus infection on Monday, health officials said.

The Hoya Resort Hotel at Wuling Farm, where tourists and staff showed the symptoms, was ordered to stop providing food to guests, the Taichung City Health Bureau said.

Health authorities are still testing samples collected at the hotel to confirm the exact cause of the outbreak.

A highly contagious viral illness, norovirus is commonly transmitted through fecal contamination in food or water, person-to-person contact and contamination of surfaces.