Health officials in Wake County, NC have confirmed norovirus as the cause of a number of gastrointestinal illnesses at North Carolina State University (NC State). According to Student Health Services (SHS), approximately 60 students have exhibited norovirus-like symptoms. Most of the affected students live in Alexander Hall, however additional cases of ill students have been received from a handful of other on- and off-campus housing locations.
SHS offers the following recommendations for the campus community: If you are exhibiting symptoms and feel ill, you should thoroughly wash your hands after any bathroom visit. If you are feeling ill, you should not prepare food for or serve food to others. It is also important to get adequate rest and good oral hydration, both when ill and when trying not to become ill.
Any students who are presenting symptoms should remain in their rooms. On-campus students should contact their RA. Students experiencing persistent, severe vomiting or diarrhea should go to the Student Health Center, personal health care provider, or emergency healthcare facility.
The university is taking every precaution to contain the spread of the illness, and to assist ill students, including the following actions:
- Student Health is actively working with University Housing to contact all of the on-campus sick students to check on health and needs.
- Wellness kits containing liquids and easy-to-digest foods have been provided to affected students.
- Students exhibiting gastrointestinal issues have been instructed to remain in their residences throughout their illness in an effort to not spread the virus to others.
- University Housekeeping staff have increased cleaning operations in affected areas as a precaution, including cleaning restrooms, hand railings, door knobs, etc., and will continue to do so daily until the illness passes.
- University Housekeeping will provide approved cleaning supplies to affected students for their university-owned personal living spaces.
- Faculty of the students who are ill have been notified.
Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that often goes by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.
The symptoms include nausea,vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever,chills,headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people, the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days.
In general, children experience more vomiting than adults do.
Norovirus is spread person to person particularly in crowded, closed places. Norovirus is typically spread through contaminated food and water, touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth and close contact with someone who is vomiting or has diarrhea.
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