Several Canadian athletes forced to relocate after norovirus outbreak in team hotel

Midway through the current IAAF World Championships in London, England, several Canadian athletes set to compete as well as those still to arrive are being relocated to a different hotel after an outbreak of a nasty stomach bug.

RELATED: Eric Gillis DNFs in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships

According to team doctor Paddy McCluskey, up to nine Canadian athletes and staff members became ill in the days after arriving at Tower Hotel in central London. Germany, Ireland and Botswana who were at the same hotel were also hit with the virus but the floor team Canada was on was hit particularly hard.

Many were surprised when three-time Olympian Eric Gillis dropped out of Sunday’s men’s marathon around 30K due to GI issues. Gillis is well known for his consistency and ability to perform anytime he lines up for a race. Well, the reason he dropped out is now known: Gillis was one of the athletes to be hit with the bug.

Aaron Brown who competed in the men’s 100m and 200m events–the latter of which he originally qualified for the semis but was subsequently disqualified for a lane infringement–was also hit by the bug and was quarantined after contracting norovirus. Brown later told reporters that “I was in my room the entire day in the dark like I was a vampire. I was holding my stomach the entire night.”

RELATED: Aaron Brown DQ’d in the men’s 200m at the IAAF World Championships

Another prominent athlete, Isaac Makwala of Botswana, was considered a medal favourite in yesterday’s 400m final but was seemingly barred from the race after he scratched from his 200m heat because of what he originally said was food poisoning. Some speculate that the IAAF assumed he had contracted the same virus as some of the Canadian athletes and in the interest of public safety, refused him entry into the race.

The illness causes vomiting, diarrhea, a low-grade fever and abdominal pain as well as fatigue and energy loss. These symptoms make performing daily tasks–let alone performing arduous physical activity–a struggle.