‘Contagious Virus’ Shuts Down Arizona’s Steampunk Event in Tucson

I have some friends who are avid participants in the Steampunk scene. They're creative and fun, and they spend months preparing costumes for the big annual event that happens in Tucson.

This year's Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention came to a screeching halt due to a health scare. The event took place at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, but the reasons why the event stopped early are a little murky.

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Why Was the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention Cut Short?

Some of the event's attendees reported symptoms like stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and food aversion. The Tribal Medical Authority decided to step in and cancel the event as a precaution, citing a 'contagious virus' as the cause and hoping to stop the spread.

READ: Could the Dangerous, New Virus Hitting China Impact Arizona?

There's no word on what the 'contagious virus' might be, but Tribal Authorities made the decision to end the event and evacuate the venue early. They did not shut down the casino or the hotel but say the illness has only affected the steampunk convention participants.

Speculation on Why the Event Was Shut Down

There's been no official statement from the venue or the organizers on what the virus was that shut the event down. A now-deleted post from the event's Facebook page had comments indicating that multiple people at the hotel said they were not feeling well.

READ: The "New Fauci Virus" is Spreading Across Arizona

Participants reported symptoms like stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and other intestinal symptoms. People on several related Facebook sites speculate that the cause may have been a food-borne illness, norovirus, or intestinal flu.

There are no new updates, but hopefully, this illness will be short-lived, and everyone will recover quickly.

Sources: KVOA Tucson | KYMA | Wild West Con | Facebook