WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. -- No visitors are allowed in and no patients are allowed out of a Westmoreland nursing home Tuesday that has residents and workers who have been infected with a highly contagious virus.

The Health Department said a strain of norovirus has made its way to Bethlen Nursing Home in Ligonier and has sickened half of the residents and staff, bringing the total number close to 85.

The nursing home said it's doing all it can to stop it from spreading.

The Health Department said Bethlen has fully complied with its recommendations to restrict visitation to the facility after nearly 45 residents and 40 caregivers were affected by the gastrointestinal illness.

Typically, the illness and its symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea and fever, spread quickly through fecal matter and lasts one or two days, but to elderly patients whose immune systems are already run down, norovirus can be very dangerous.

Besides Bethlen home, 120 people at Genesis Health Nursing Home near Philadelphia are believed to have contracted norovirus this week, not to mention countless cruise ship patrons over the last few years.

The nursing home issued a statement, saying "Bethlen home is not under quarantine, but they are restricting visitation to keep outside individuals from either possibly contracting the virus or from bringing in new infections."

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