Testing shows dozens of illnesses at university likely caused by norovirus

Laboratory testing has shown that norovirus is behind dozens of illnesses among students and staff at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

University officials have been working with public health officials since Sept. 21 when about a dozen students reported symptoms consistent with foodborne illnesses, specifically norovirus.

“On Friday evening, our facilities team began deep cleaning and sanitizing of rooms of affected individuals and all common or shared spaces in our campus residential facilities. They have completed 46 student rooms and will be continuing cleaning throughout the day on Saturday (Sept. 25),” according to a statement from university officials.

“We are also extending the hours of our quarantine meal delivery service to 8 p.m. so students can receive nutrition and hydration while limiting their exposure to others. Affected students may request general support, including meal delivery and hydration, by attesting to their symptoms via GU360.”

“If you are unwell, please stay home, avoid social gatherings or events, and do not attend class or arrive for work. Please report any symptoms via the GU360 Daily Health Attestation.” 

As of Sept. 24 the university was reporting illnesses among 62 students, staff and “community members.” On Sept. 21 the school was reporting 12 students had reported symptoms. No one has required hospitalization, but some people have received hydration treatments.

“As of 10 a.m. this morning, (Washington) D.C. Health has collected 62 surveys from students and community members reporting symptoms,” according to a statement from the university on Sept. 21.

Symptoms reported include severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which are commonly associated with Salmonella, norovirus and other foodborne pathogens.

On Sept. 22 the school reported it had removed pre-packaged and pre-washed food items that are commonly associated with foodborne illnesses from its dining facilities and continued additional cleaning and disinfection of residence halls and dining areas.

University officials say the symptoms presented by the sick people are not those of COVID-19 patients and that it is believed that the illnesses are from an infectious organism.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)

Note: This article have been indexed to our site. We do not claim ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here

Related Posts
Dental Costs Burden Many Patients With Head and Neck Cancer thumbnail

Dental Costs Burden Many Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Please enable cookies. Error 1005 Ray ID: 8b32e6062e2785c5 • 2024-08-14 18:09:53 UTC What happened? The owner of this website (www.medscape.com) has banned the autonomous system number (ASN) your IP address is in (47583) from accessing this website. Was this page helpful? Thank you for your feedback! Cloudflare Ray ID: 8b32e6062e2785c5 • Your IP: 185.124.111.116 •
Read More
Oral Combo Shows Activity in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Brain Metastases thumbnail

Oral Combo Shows Activity in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Brain Metastases

Pyrotinib plus capecitabine showed encouraging antitumor activity in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases, according to results from the phase II PERMEATE trial. At a median follow-up of 15.7 months, the combination achieved an intracranial objective response rate (ORR) of 74.6% (95% CI 61.6-85.0) in a cohort of patients who were radiotherapy-naive…
Read More
50 Delicious Snacks That Are Also Super Healthy thumbnail

50 Delicious Snacks That Are Also Super Healthy

BENEATH ALL THE flashy packaging, many so-called healthy snacks that debuted within the past few years are really just junk. We went on a hunt for high-quality options that actually deliver on muscle-building protein, heart-healthy fats, filling fiber, and flat-out deliciousness.This year we scanned shelves and the Internet for the 20 best new-ish packaged snacks
Read More
Long COVID a Global Issue for Patients and Healthcare Systems thumbnail

Long COVID a Global Issue for Patients and Healthcare Systems

(Reuters) - British researchers led by Oxford University said on Friday that the current understanding of long COVID and options to treat it is emerging as a major long-term issue for global healthcare systems after reviewing the illness' effects on patients. The review, published in the European Heart Journal, says the problem is threatening to…
Read More
The enduring legacy of Princess Kate’s see-through dress thumbnail

The enduring legacy of Princess Kate’s see-through dress

The Princess of Wales has rocked the fashion world in more ways than one, more recently for her royal duties, donning impeccably tailored two-piece suits and Emila Wickstead gowns. But before she was appointed Princess, she too was a regular girl like us, figuring out both the good, bad and ugly fashion world trends.If you’ve
Read More
Index Of News
Total
0
Share