Georgia Emerging Infections Program
Georgia Department About Us | Services | Directions | Hot Topics | Contact Us | Food Scores | Environmental Health
Hot Topics
NEWS RELEASE
Georgia Department of Human Resources
Division of Public Health
District 1-1
1309 Redmond Road, N.W.
Rome, GA 30165-9655
For release: March 27, 2009
For more information:
Logan Boss
706-295-6649
hlboss@dhr.state.ga.us
Public health officials identify recent gastrointestinal illnesses at Battlefield Elementary
Rome, GA: Lab tests have revealed that Norovirus was probably the main illness experienced last week by students and staff ill with vomiting and diarrhea at Catoosa County’s Battlefield Elementary School, 2206 Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethorpe, GA. Norovirus, also known as Norwalk-like virus, is a collective term for a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis or an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
Northwest Georgia Public Health Epidemiologist Melissa Atkins said “specimens submitted to the Georgia Public Health Lab for testing were positive for Norovirus GI and negative for bacteria illness. Several factors could have
contributed to the rapid spread of the illness within the school, including lack of
and poor hand washing, contaminated surfaces and ill persons not staying out of or going back to school too soon.”
Amy Carroll, nurse manager with the Catoosa County Health Department, which spearheaded the investigation, praised local school officials stating “they responded quickly and worked closely with us to remind staff, parents and children about correct hand washing and to disinfect commonly touched surfaces. We wish outbreaks like this would never happen in our school communities, but they sometimes do despite the best preventative measures being in place. We hope ongoing public health education in our schools as well as the lessons learned during this recent teachable moment will help minimize the likelihood of another outbreak of this sort of illness.”
Norovirus symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults.
You can decrease your chance of coming in contact with noroviruses by following
these preventive steps:
- Frequently wash your hands, especially after toilet visits and changing diapers, and before eating or preparing food.
- Carefully wash fruits and vegetables and steam oysters before eating them.
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner or a disinfectant that kills morovirus.
- Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap).
- Flush or discard any vomitus and/or stool in the toilet and make sure that the surrounding area is kept clean.
For more information on noroviruses, go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus.htm
Here you'll find news releases pertaining to public health matters that concern Catoosa County. News releases pertaining to the 10-County Northwest Georgia Public Health district can be found in the Newsroom.
