An outbreak of norovirus is believed to have sickened at least 700 students across the Rio School District in Ventura, Calif., according to the Ventura County Star.
Students from all eight of the district's schools have displayed symptoms attributable to norovirus since initial cases were reported the week of March 6 at Rio Plaza School in Oxnard, Calif. By March 16, approximately 500 possible cases had been reported.
While the case count has risen, the outbreak appears to be on the decline, said Robert Levin, MD, Ventura County public health officer, according to the Ventura County Star.
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Common symptoms related to norovirus include stomach pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus can be spread via person-to-person contact, or contact with contaminated surfaces and food. The illness contributes to 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths annually, according to the CDC.
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