Approximately 500 students have displayed symptoms of norovirus across the Rio School District in Ventura County, Calif., according to the Ventura County Star.
Students first exhibited symptoms the week beginning March 6 at Rio Plaza School in Oxnard. Since then, all eight of the district's schools have reported suspected cases.
The 5,000-student school district has contacted families about the outbreak, and schools have been sanitized by maintenance staff and outside services. School kitchens were inspected and ruled out as potential sources of the outbreak. While cases seem to be declining, no source of the outbreak has been identified, said Robert Levin, MD, Ventura County public health officer, according to the County Star.
"There is not really any hope in finding the source in a school outbreak like this," said Dr. Levin.
Symptoms of norovirus include stomach pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus can be spread via contact with infected people, 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.
Ventura County health officials have not been able to officially confirm the illnesses as norovirus.
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