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Nearly 100 Students and Staff Sickened Due to Norovirus Outbreak at Kansas Elementary School
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Nearly 100 cases of norovirus, including 95 students and staff and two family members, were linked to an outbreak at Bentwood Elementary School in Olathe, Kansas, with symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain reported.
- The outbreak began with student absences on October 8, and no hospitalizations occurred; as of October 13, no new cases were reported, and the outbreak was declared over by October 21.
- Norovirus is highly contagious, spreading through contaminated food, surfaces, and close contact, making thorough handwashing critical to prevent transmission, according to health officials and the CDC.
- The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) collaborated with school officials throughout the outbreak to monitor and contain the virus and will continue surveillance to protect the community.
- The CDC notes norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., causing millions of illnesses annually and nearly 1 million pediatric medical visits each year.
