County Says Norovirus--Not School Lunches--Likely Got Hercules Students Sick

County health officials are saying it’s likely that a norovirus—not , as initially suspected—caused tens of Hercules Middle High School students to get sick late last week.

“We’re preliminarily saying that it may not be the food, but we don’t have any confirmation yet…because we are still doing our investigation,” said Erika Jenssen, a Contra Costa County Public Health official. Contra Costa Public Health and Contra Costa Environmental health are investigating case of multiple ill students.

“It looks like there were people ill before Friday, and we are seeing a lot of norovirus” at schools around the county,” Jenssen said.

Noroviruses cause stomach flu-like symptoms, Jenson said—sometimes causing vomiting and diarrhea.

Rich Clarine said his Hercules Middle High child was sick all of last Thursday night and had to miss school Friday. “He didn't eat the school lunch he had a lunch from home,” Clarine commented on the Hercules Patch Facebook page.

Maria Banares commented on a about the outbreak of sick Hercules students, who reported feeling ill after eating school lunches. “I don't know if it was the lunches. My daughter did not have the spicy chx sandwich but still caught it and was told it was the norovirus. My whole family has it now.”

The county’s public health services website says, “Norovirus is a very common and major cause of gastrointestinal illness. It most often circulates during the winter, but can cause illness throughout the year. Although it is sometimes called "stomach flu," it is not related to influenza. Symptoms of norovirus include diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Healthy people usually recover within one to three days. Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads from person to person through contaminated food, water and objects that come in contact with the mouth. Frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent spread of norovirus.”

Jenssen said advised students and others who expect they have a norovirus to stay home for the duration of their illness and 24 hours after their symptoms have stopped.  She added that it’s important people at risk of the virus to wash their hands with soap and water and not to rely on alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The sanitizers will not kill the norovirus, she said.

To report an illness to the county’s Public Health Division, call 925-313-6740. The division's website is http://cchealth.org/groups/cd/.