PROVO, Utah (AP) — Utah County health officials say an outbreak that sickened about 250 people at Provo's LDS Missionary Training Center is nearly contained.

Lance Madigan of the health department says about 20 cases of a stomach flu-like sickness were reported on Dec. 31, and the number jumped to nearly 140 the following day. He tells the Deseret News (http://bit.ly/UnHrWS ) the number of people being treated had dropped to about 20 by Thursday night.

Health officials say they suspect an outbreak of norovirus, which is a fast-moving illness with flu-like symptoms that usually last from 24 to 48 hours.

Madigan says the virus can spread especially easily in places like the Missionary Training Center, where students eat and learn together before serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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