At least 80 people are believed to have caught a sickness bug at an airport hotel in Vancouver.
The city’s Coastal Health officials say 40 employees and 40 guests have been affected in a suspected norovirus outbreak.
The Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel has been temporarily closed for thorough cleaning of all the bedrooms, public areas and food and drinks facilities.
"It’s quite significant to shut down an entire hotel and especially at that size," said Claudia Kurzac, Vancouver Coastal Health’s manager for environmental health.
"Given the numbers of people potentially exposed and that were ill, I think that was probably the best course of action to take."
Just prior to the outbreak the hotel was hosting a conference for 500 delegates.
Hotel manager Steve Veinot said the source of the gastro bug has not been identified yet.
According to Kurzac, guests at the Cavu Kitchen Bar in the nearby Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel also showed signs of illness.
Both hotels are operated by Larco Hospitality.
Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
