Norovirus Strikes In PUSD, Families Asked To Take Precautions - Pleasanton, CA Patch

PLEASANTON, CA — The Pleasanton Unified School District is advising families that it's seeing a rise in the number of students sick with the stomach flu, or norovirus.

Foothill High School Principal Sebastian Bull sent out a letter Wednesday to families that read, "A handful of students have been out ill with viral gastroenteritis symptoms ('stomach flu'). We are working proactively and closely with our district nurses and Health Office, as well as our County Health Department, to help keep our students healthy and prevent further illness.

"We are following guidance regarding cleaning and sterilization procedures as a precaution and to stay ahead of this, including deep cleaning of classrooms and disinfecting all public surfaces with a focus on high touch areas such as door knobs, light switches and countertops/desks," Bull continued. "To assist with this process, we are bringing in additional outside staff the next two evenings on campus to support our custodial and maintenance staff."

In a letter sent Oct. 23 to PUSD families, district officials warned that the highly contagious norovirus had been striking students they offered guidance on how to protect against the bug:

• Please encourage your child to wash their hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after using the toilet and prior to eating.
• If your child has 'stomach flu-like' symptoms, including upset stomach, vomiting and/or diarrhea, or a fever, please keep your child home from school.
• If your child has vomiting and/or diarrhea, it is important that your child DOES NOT return to school until at least 2 full days (48 hours) AFTER the symptoms have ended AND your child feels better.
• It is also recommended that your child not attend any group events such as birthday parties, clubs or sports teams, etc. until at least 48 hours after symptoms have ended.
• If your child is absent due to illness, please provide the details of symptoms that your child is experiencing to your school attendance office.

Norovirus symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, norovirus is behind the 19-21 million annual cases of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. Every year the bug also causes 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths in the U.S., mostly in young children and the elderly, according to the CDC.

The PUSD provided fact sheets that provide information on norovirus:

Norovirus Illness Fact Sheet
Norovirus Illness Fact Sheet (Spanish)
CDC Flu Prevention Guidance

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