More Than 100 University of Michigan Students Sickened in Norovirus Outbreak, School Says
One student was hospitalized for dehydration, the university said.
— -- A norovirus outbreak has sickened more than 100 students at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
More than 100 students sought treatment for vomiting and diarrhea within several days, the university said in a statement Friday, adding that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed norovirus as the cause.
The Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News today that its state laboratory did confirmatory testing for the norovirus outbreak with the University of Michigan.
University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen estimated between 100 and 150 students were sickened.
One student was hospitalized for dehydration, Broekhuizen said.
The outbreak was first identified in university housing at the school's West Quad and South Quad, the university said, adding that officials are working to determine the source of the outbreak.
Norovirus is very contagious and can spread from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or contaminated surfaces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus can cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Last week in Pennsylvania, more than 200 students at Ursinus College were sickened by a norovirus outbreak at the school, according to ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia. In New Hampshire, more than 500 people have become ill from norovirus this year, and the disease prompted a private school in Concord to close Friday, according to ABC affiliate WMUR-TV.
Norovirus can be prevented by proper hand washing and general cleanliness, the CDC says.