Alabama schools shut down after 1,200 kids contract gastrointestinal virus

US News

By Katherine Donlevy

Greater than 1,200 college students have been absent Wednesday after a extremely contagious gastrointestinal sickness swept via an Alabama college district.

Greater than half the contaminated youngsters got here from a single college, which was shut down via the rest of the week in order that the state Division of Public Well being may examine how the virus overtook its pupil physique.

“As a result of quantity of employees and college students who’re absent, the quantity who’re experiencing signs, and in an effort to assist include the contagion, we sadly have to shut the constructing down,” Baldwin County Public Faculties Superintendent Eddie Tyler stated in a letter to oldsters.

“Whereas out, we will likely be conducting a deep cleansing of the varsity so when college students return subsequent week, it is going to be sanitized to the fullest extent.”

Well being officers haven’t decided what virus has run rampant via the hallways of no less than 4 district colleges, referring to it solely as a “gastrointestinal outbreak.”

Sick college students and employees have suffered nausea and vomiting, and got here down with the sickness quick.

Fairhope West Elementary was hit particularly arduous, college sources told News 5.

Solely two dozen college students of the 866-strong physique known as out sick on Tuesday, a quantity that drastically escalated in a single day.

On Wednesday, solely 145 college students and half the school confirmed as much as class.

A number of hundred different college students missed class Wednesday at one other close by elementary college, in addition to a center college and highschool for a complete of 1,231 college students.

Different colleges urged dad and mom to maintain their youngsters house if potential out of an abundance of warning.

Though not formally recognized because the norovirus, Baldwin County college officers are treating it as such.

Norovirus is a really contagious virus that causes vomiting, diarrhea and abdomen ache, in accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

Anybody can get contaminated and sick with norovirus, which is definitely unfold via shared meals and water, in addition to contaminated surfaces.