PHOENIX — More than 100 students at Hopi Elementary School in Arcadia stayed home due to illness this week, and norovirus could be the cause.
Norovirus, which is also called food poisoning, stomach flu, or stomach bug, is the leading cause of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
ABC15 learned an email was sent to parents at Hopi Elementary School, urging children experiencing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, and low-grade fever to stay at home.
The email also noted, "Per the CDC the most common cause of these symptoms is the norovirus."
“At the beginning of the week, the school nurse noticed an uptick in the number of teachers and kids who were out sick,” a Scottsdale Unified School District spokesperson told ABC15 via email.
An estimated 19 to 21 million norovirus cases are reported each year, with outbreaks generally happening between November and April, a CDC spokesperson told ABC15.
“Most recent CDC data collected from the NoroSTAT program and the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) show that reported norovirus outbreaks and reported cases from both state health departments and clinical laboratories remain within the expected range for this time of year,” the spokesperson said.
“Prevention measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic were likely effective in preventing norovirus outbreaks,” the CDC spokesperson noted. “As pandemic restrictions have relaxed, the number of norovirus outbreaks has returned to levels similar to pre-pandemic years.”
ABC15 Health Insider, Dr. Janice Johnston said the norovirus is highly contagious, but very rarely is it ever serious.
"It is something that comes in waves, so we definitely do see it,” Dr. Johnston said. “People sometimes don't call it by the name of Norovirus, but it is a very common thing to cause symptoms of the stomach flu.”
Dr. Johnston added that hand sanitizer is not as effective in killing the virus. Instead, she said to focus on hand washing with warm water and soap.
“If your child is feeling unwell, make sure you keep them home, keep them hydrated,” Dr. Johnston said. “And if there's an outbreak in your particular classroom that you're concerned about, I would certainly reach out to your school for more information."
A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Department of Health noted an increase in reported norovirus cases recently, “but not much more than we would see seasonally in a pre-pandemic year,” they noted.
“This reinforces that common infection control measures like staying home when sick and frequently washing your hands prevents the spread of GI illness,” the spokesperson said.
