Of the 1,100 students at Hammond (La.) Westside Montessori, 169 were out sick Monday with suspected norovirus, according to WWL-TV.
Approximately 350 students were out sick with the stomach virus March 23. Administrators closed the school the following day to conduct a thorough sanitation of the facility, which continued into the weekend. Several faculty members have also been affected by the outbreak.
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Symptoms of norovirus include stomach pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus can be spread via person-to-person contact and contact with contaminated surfaces and food. On average, the illness contributes to 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths each year, according to the CDC.
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