Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

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Published: Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 / Updated: Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 03:02 PM

Rock Hill school reports cases of stomach virus

Shawn Cetrone -

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Rock Hill schools have had potential cases at one elementary school of a stomach virus that state health officials say is quickly spreading across South Carolina.

Several weeks ago, Lesslie Elementary had a higher than average number of students out due to the norovirus, which generally causes vomiting or diarrhea for a day or two.

The school sent home a letter to parents to inform them about the stomach virus and to ask them not to send sick children to school, district spokeswoman Elaine Baker wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

?During the winter months, there?s always illnesses of some type: colds, viruses, flu, etc., etc. Last fall, the biggie was H1N1,? Baker wrote.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control says the state has seen twice the normal number of norovirus cases so far this year. It is spread easily, especially in places with a lot of people like schools and nursing homes.

York schools haven?t had any reported cases. Figures for Fort Mill and Clover schools weren?t immediately available Thursday afternoon.

Doctors say the best way to fight the virus is to frequently wash hands and make sure shared surfaces like doorknobs and handrails in public places are properly cleaned often.

DHEC says most people recover from the virus without medical treatment, but anyone with symptoms that persist should go to the doctor.

- The Associated Press contributed

http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/02/26/1976606/rock-hill-school-reports-cases.html

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Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

By Octavia Mitchell | Anchor / Reporter
Published: March 8, 2010
Updated: March 8, 2010

The Department of Health says there have been more than forty outbreaks of symptoms associated with the Norovirus across the state. DHEC says they have received reports of Norovirus from every county in South Carolina. Health officials in Georgetown county say they have seen an increase there.

Cynthia Mixson is an infectious control preventionist at Georgetown Memorial Hospital. Mixson says, ?We have seen an increase, not necessarily inpatient, but in the emergency rooms, there has been an increase. It?s so highly contagious. It wouldn?t take long for it to take off in a school or somewhere else where you have a lot of people, have to really be careful.? She says they have not seen an outbreak, but an increase of people coming with norovirus like symptoms. Mixson says,

?We?re talking about nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Everybody doesn?t have all the symptoms to be positive, but it?s a pretty bad virus. It makes people really sick really sick for a couple of days.? Some people may also have a fever. Symptoms may develop within 12 hours from time infected, and last around 48 hours. Health officials say symptoms may develop within 12 hours from time infected. Mixson says the increase started in mid February. ?It?s viral, so there?s really not a whole lot you can do just wait it out, try to drink fluids.?

According to Mixson, of the six people tested between the areas? two hospitals, only four have been positive. Other gastro-intestinal viruses are going around with similar symptoms as well. Mixson says, ?Some people don?t get tested, so we?re not sure which is Norovivrus and which is a regular viral infection that?s maybe going around. Also these tests have to be sent to DHEC in Columbia to be checked for the Norovirus.?

When asked what makes the Norovirus different? Mixson says, ?The Norovirus I think is more debilitating. I think it makes people much more sicker, maybe not for any longer a time, but rather than a regular intestinal virus that you can get sometimes it?s just diarrhea,or sometimes it?s nausea and vomiting, you don?t have both. With Noro, you will have both. Some people have to have I.V. fluids because you get dehydrated.?

Bottom line, Mixson says take precautions. ?Make sure you wash your hands, clean your hands. I don?t care where you go, make sure you use good hand hygiene, that?s really important.?

News 2 also checked with other doctors? offices in the Georgetown area.

They were busy seeing people with Norovirus symptoms as well.

The Georgetown County School District says they do not have a problem with the Norovirus in schools.

DHEC says Horry county has seen cases in schools and nursing homes as well.

For more information on the Norovirus and preventive measures, click here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus.htm

http://www2.counton2.com/cbd/news/local/article/norovirus_increase/118952/

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Re: Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

Tuesday, Mar. 09, 2010

Sick students at St. James High force extra cleaning of school

Vicki Grooms - vgrooms@thesunnews.com



03-08-10/Monday----Charles Cooke (left) and Michael Jordan of the Horry
County Schools maintenance department, clean classrooms along the Social Studies hall Monday at St. James High School in Murrells Inlet. Several cases of the norovirus outbreak have been found in area schools where students have experienced symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. St. James High School is the latest school to see students with those symptoms and officials are cleaning down the school according to DHEC and/or CDC guidelines. Photo By Randall Hill rhill@thesunnews.com


St. James High School received an extra cleaning on Monday after some students experienced some gastrointestinal symptoms, according to Gail Moss, director of student health services for Horry County Schools.

Moss said some students at St. James had vomiting and diarrhea, but no virus was positively identified by the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

"We were just being proactive," Moss said.

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<!-- Rubicon Project tag -->Parents of Pee Dee Elementary School students received DHEC letters last month advising them that some students had confirmed cases of Shigella bacteria. Earlier this year, Midland Elementary School also had confirmed cases of the Norovirus. Moss said both viruses have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

Moss said crews clean schools every afternoon with disinfectants, and in the extra cleanings, they have an extra crew go in to clean from top to bottom, including walls and doorknobs, with a 10-to-1 solution of Clorox bleach.

http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/03/09/1358834/horry-county-schools-have-extra.html

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Re: Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

Stomach viruses, norovirus outbreaks in Lowcountry

Posted:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> wnRenderDate('Friday, March 19, 2010 10:26 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Mar 19, 2010 9:26 PM CDT <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->Updated:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> wnRenderDate('Friday, March 19, 2010 11:10 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Mar 19, 2010 10:10 PM CDT
By Nicole Johnson

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Stomach viruses are running rampant in the Lowcountry. The number of outbreaks this year has already surpassed the number from last year.

"I was like just leave me here on the bathroom floor please. Don't move me don't touch me. It was bad," said Camille Watkins.

Camille Watkins says it was the sickest she had been in her life. The most severe symptoms lasted just one day. After days of vomiting and not eating she went to the doctor, and he confirmed she had the norovirus.

"I went to a friend's oyster roast, and that's how I got it and a bunch of us got it. Not every single person, but about 90% of us got it," said Watkins.

State health officials say stomach bugs including the norovirus are what are going around the tri-county right now. So far for the region this year there's been ten outbreaks of gastrointestinal problems, a majority of which were confirmed norovirus. Last year there were eight total outbreaks.
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More at:

http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=12174123

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Re: Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

Illness at Columbia Prison Determined to Be Norovirus

Tony Santaella Created: 3/31/2010 3:59:27 PM Updated: 3/31/2010 4:26:30 PM

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - State health officials have confirmed that the illness reported at a Columbia prison is the Norovirus.

Department of Health and Environmental Control tests came back Wednesday for prisoners at Kirkland Correctional Institution.

A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections says more than 160 inmates were sick at the Broad River Road facility. The inmates were reported to have the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

Infected inmates at Kirkland remain isolated in their cells to prevent a spread of the infection. They're also being given fluids.

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=85683&catid=2

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Re: Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

Mount Pleasant School Shuts Down Due to Possible Norovirus Outbreak

posted 03/31/10 4:56 pm producer: Raymond Rivera

Mount Pleasant, SC - School officials say a Mount Pleasant middle school is currently investigating a possible outbreak of norovirus among the facility.
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Moultrie Middle School say it will keep its doors closed on Thursday after upwards of twelve teachers calling in sick impacted by norovirus like symptoms. DHEC is investigating the possible outbreak and is looking into the activity history of the staff.
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According to Charleston County school officials, based on staffing needs and as a preventative measure to ensure faculty and student safety, class at Moultrie Middle School will be canceled due to the multiple cases of staff members reporting norovirus-like symptoms
The school district say they are doing this since the school?s staff has been significantly depleted due to illness and do not want to compromise the school's instructional program and resources.
.../

http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0310/721232.html

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Re: Cases of Norovirus increase across South Carolina

DHEC Confirms Norovirus Had Infected School Staff

posted 4:20 pm Fri April 09, 2010 - Charleston, SC
from ABC News 4 - http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0410/724189.html

<!-- PARSES BODY TEXT TO INSERT MARKERS AT PARAGRAPH BREAKS SO WE CAN INSERT CONTENT LATER --->DHEC has confirmed that the norovirus was to blame for making faculty sick at one Lowcountry school. Last week Moultrie Middle School was forced to close on Thursday and Friday after a majority of the staff got sick.

It was two days before the start of spring break, so school officials used that time to disinfect the entire school.

It is expected to open back up Monday morning.