Penza, 19 February 2014. PenzaNews. 26 athletes participating in the championships of the Volga Federal District in swimming were infected by virus, while living in the building of the Olympic Reserve School in Pugacheva Street in Penza.

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According to the deputy chairman of the regional sports committee Vladimir Zhuchkov, the athletes are preliminary diagnosed “Viral Gastroenteritis,” but the exact cause of sickness will be identified on Friday, February 21.

He specified that the swimmers from the Perm region were the first to start suffering from vomiting and indigestion.

“Probably, they have already come with this problem. The virus was most likely caught in a train. At that time, a part of Penza athletes were living in the school building. They got sick — 17 people — and also the representatives of Kazan. One child got acute form,” Vladimir Zhuchkov told news agency ‘PenzaNews.”

The deputy chairman of the regional sports committee added that there is no need for hospitalization, but the athletes were moved away from the rest of the competitors.

“Currently, a group of infectiologists are working there. The Ministry of Health, the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being, Russian Swimming Federation have been notified,” the Internet service “Penza-Sport” quoted Vladimir Zhuchkov.