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More than 80 students were reported absent at Babylon High School on Friday, March 17, after suffering a gastrointestinal illness, according to Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott.
Within hours, officials from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services visited the campus to inspect the kitchen and food services area. They found no indication that the outbreak originated in the school’s cafeteria, according to the department.
Lab testing has not confirmed a cause of the outbreak, but norovirus is believed to be the cause, Piggot said.
“Norovirus has been circulating throughout the US for the last few months as it does every year, though an increase in cases compared to our COVID-19 pandemic years was reported by the CDC in February,” Pigott added.
Health officials said the outbreak was largely contained to the high school, with only a few cases found in students in other schools in the district.
According to the health department, the best way to prevent infection is by washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and disinfecting surfaces.
Norovirus is the most common cause of diarrhea, foodborne illness, and vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It spreads easily from eating foods or liquids that are contaminated, touching contaminated surfaces and then your mouth, or having direct contact with a person who is sick.
Symptoms begin suddenly, typically around 12 to 48 hours after exposure, and include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.
Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches. There is no treatment for norovirus.
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