Norovirus To Blame For N.C. State Outbreak

Preliminary tests show a mysterious illness that has made more than 200 North Carolina State University students sick is a norovirus.

Preliminary tests show a mysterious illness that has made more than 200 North Carolina State University students sick is a norovirus.Wake County Health Officials sent out a warning to students at the school not to panic, but to alert other people that the virus, which is easily passed from person-to-person, is going around.Officials say the virus is the most common gastro-intestinal virus in the United States. 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. Elliot Taylor and his girlfriend are both students at N.C. State. She just got over the illness, and now he has it.”It lasts about a day… and you just have nausea, cramps and are constantly throwing up,” Taylor said.It’s no surprise that Elliot, who is now hooked up to an IV to replenish his fluids, contracted the illness. Noroviruses are usually passed to a person who has been caring for someone with the illness, according to Dr. Mary Bengston of N.C. State’s Student Health Services.Bengston says the most important thing you can do to avoid getting sick from the norovirus, and many other viruses like it, is to wash your hands — a lot. The virus is still contagious from 3 days to 6 weeks after the symptoms are gone.If you do get sick, health officials recommend decontaminating your home, clothes and everything you have touched.The same thing happened at the University of North Carolina campus nearly one month ago.About 300 students got sick. And after a long investigation, the health department determined a salad bar caused the problems.