WYANDOTTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Wilson Middle School in Wyandotte will be closed Wednesday due to a potential norovirus outbreak, the district said.
All after-school sports and activities are also canceled.
Wyandotte Public Schools said multiple students on Tuesday reported feeling sick around lunchtime. The school thought the reports could be linked to food and contacted the health department. However, the district said the health department does not think the illness is related to food and believes it could be a norovirus outbreak.
As a precaution, the school will be closed Wednesday to stop potential spread of illness. The building will be disinfected, the district said.
The scheduled turkey entree has been removed from the lunch menu this week at the elementary and high schools, and a replacement is expected to be finalized Wednesday.
Norovirus, a common cause of gastroenteritis, can be easily spread through food, person-to-person contact and contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms typically last one to two days and include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping, low-grade fever, headache, weakness and muscle aches. Most people fully recover without medical attention, but some cases result in hospitalization.
The virus can easily be spread at home, so families are being urged to take caution. To help limit spread, people should wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm running water and prevent contamination of food, drinks, water and ice.
Students and staff with symptoms should stay away from school and other group activities until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
