A statement regarding the mystery illness which affected guests at one of Bermuda's leading hotels at the end of October is expected to be made today by Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann.

An investigation into the cause of the sickness that struck down at least 51 guests, and possibly as many as 200, at the Fairmont Southampton hotel has been ongoing for the past month.

Many guests have required hospital treatment either in Bermuda or after returning to their homes overseas as a result of the sickness believed to have centred on the hotel.

An international conference for doctors was one of the groups hit by the sickness, which resulted in violent vomiting, diarrhoea and severe dehydration amongst those affected.

Guests from across North America have subsequently contacted The Royal Gazette to report the symptoms they suffered either at the time of their stay or shortly afterwards when the returned home.

Another medical professional, Cynthia McCormick of Bethesda, Maryland, is the latest to report she was taken ill after attending the Ninth International Conference on Mechanisms and Treatment of Neuropathic Pain conference at the hotel.

She has been following the story through this newspaper's website and said: "The extent of the epidemic is virtually unknown since guests were not systematically contacted by the hotel or the health department to inform them of the outbreak and to take proper precautions to avoid further spread of the virus after returning home.

"I have been at a number of meetings since the conference and learnt that other physicians had been ill on their way or upon arriving home and had no knowledge their colleagues were also affected. I contacted the hotel as soon as I learned that others were affected as I had been, and they stated that I would be informed whenever an organism was identified."

She is still waiting to hear the outcome of the investigation.

Two weeks ago Dr. Cann indicated there was evidence of a norovirus, the so-called "winter vomiting virus," in some of the samples that had been tested, but other lab tests including some taking place overseas were still pending.

The Fairmont Southampton Hotel has been working in conjunction with the Health Department to contain and identify the cause of last month's outbreak of sickness.

A statement on the latest findings is expected from Dr. Cann today.