Morgan Hill School Ends Year With Possible Norovirus Outbreak

MORGAN HILL, CA — Eleven students were sent home from Nordstrom Elementary School in
Morgan Hill this week after exhibiting possible symptoms of norovirus, district officials confirmed Tuesday.

Between Friday and Monday, 11 transitional kindergarten students from one classroom, their teacher, a secretary in the school office and the school health clerk came down with sudden and explosive abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, according to Morgan Hill Unified School District spokeswoman Lanae Bays.

Parents and students were notified of the outbreak on Monday. The school district is working with Santa Clara County public health officials to determine if norovirus is the culprit in the sicknesses.
Bays said the school does not have a history with the contagious virus, which spreads easily through direct contact with any infected persons, but resolves relatively quickly.

Though most of the students' symptoms appeared to be subsiding as of Tuesday, the school has asked the 11 students to remain at home for a couple more days to avoid further spreading the sickness. Friday is the last school day of the year for MHUSD.

Cleaning crews thoroughly cleaned seven rooms Monday night, including the transitional kindergarten classroom, where most of the students are about 4 years old. They also cleaned the kindergarten bathroom, a common area, school health office and administrative office, and will return nightly through the rest of the week to clean playgrounds and disinfect the entire school.

"We have really taken the steps to contain it to that particular class the best that we can," Bays said.

County public health officials said vomiting and diarrhea are common this time of year, and the best prevention against diseases with stomach symptoms are thorough hand-washing and good hygiene, as well as disinfecting all areas exposed to the virus.

—Bay City News