By Friday afternoon, there were 776 cases of norovirus, a highly contagious virus that affects the gastrointestinal system, in the Washoe County Health District, public information officer Phil Ulibarri, told ABC News Sunday.
At one point, there were students sick with the virus in 17 schools, three daycare centers. and one charter school. The number of schools affected dropped down to 15 schools by Friday, Ulibarri said. He added that one school will be closed on Monday.
Norovirus is a very contagious illness
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus outbreaks can occur anytime of the year, but most illnesses occur between November and April. Norovirus is very contagious and leads to between 19 million and 21 million illnesses and 570 to 800 deaths every year.
Norovirus spreads easily from person to person or from contaminated food, water or surfaces, like counters, toys or even shopping cart handles. The virus causes your stomach and sometimes the intestines to become inflamed. This leads to stomach aches, nausea, diarrhea, and throwing up. These symptoms can be especially serious in young children and the elderly.
ABC News’ Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser says the virus spreads from school to school and day care centers because siblings will share the virus across schools and in the family, helping to spread it even further. Ulibarri agreed with the assessment and added that school buses may have also played a role in the spread of the disease in Reno.
Ulibarri said health officials will be meeting with school districts this coming week to discuss protocols. “We hope that we can get the message across to people that they need to practice good hygiene,” he said. The one message he stressed everyone should pay attention to and heed is to “wash their hands frequently” and “exclude themselves from school, work and social activities for at least 72 hours after symptoms have subsided.”
