Some suburban schools hard-hit by stomach virus

The highly contagious gastrointestinal illness known as the “norovirus” continues to spread through suburban Cook County, with new cases also showing up in Lake County, local health departments report.

As of Wednesday, suburban Cook County had 59 clusters of the norovirus, which causes vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and low-grade fever. A cluster is a building where five or more people are reported ill with the virus.

Lake County has seen 64 cases so far this year, with health department officials saying they've had outbreaks in the last few weeks in Lincolnshire, Grayslake, Waukegan and Highwood.

Actual numbers of sick people probably are higher, officials said, because not everyone reports this annual, short-term virus that's best known for causing outbreaks on cruise ships.

Among those hard hit by the norovirus were schools in Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59. Three schools Robert Frost in Mount Prospect, and Rupley and Ridge schools in Elk Grove Village had 10 percent of the students and staff out ill in the past two weeks, said District 59 school health coordinator Denise Webster.

“In one classroom, half the kids were gone,” Webster said. “Every year it's something. One year it was MRSA ... last year it was H1N1. This year is the norovirus. It's just another virus, but this one is spread by not washing hands. Since we've increased the hand washing, our numbers have really gone down. Soap and water does it.”

The illness can linger for up to 12 days, but lasts two or three days on average and can be dangerous for the very young and elderly because it causes dehydration.

Noroviruses are highly contagious organisms that can survive on surfaces like door knobs, light switches and shopping cart handles for up to 12 days. People also can catch the virus by eating contaminated food or beverages or sharing food or utensils with someone who is ill.

The best way to prevent it is to regularly wash hands, clean surfaces and avoid contact with infected people, health officials said.

Kane, DuPage, McHenry and Will counties have seen very few, if any, cases so far, but that could change.

“Thanksgiving will be good and bad news,” says Vic Reato, spokesman for the Will County Health Department, where there haven't yet been any outbreaks. “Good news, because it'll give the schools a chance to get cleaned up. But bad news because it's a social holiday. People will be visiting aunts and cousins and grandparents, and may not know they have the virus.”

For more information, see www.cookcountypublichealth.org.