D161 Warns Of Possible 'Stomach Flu' Outbreak At Serena Hills

FLOSSMOOR, IL — As a rash of flu cases spread across the country and Illinois, Flossmoor School District 161 is taking extra measures to contain a possible viral gastroenteritis outbreak at Serena Hills Elementary after a significant increase in student absences because of illness this week. A note was sent to district parents Friday afternoon alerting them of the possible outbreak, and Superintendent Dana Smith told Patch the school system is working with the Cook County Department of Public Health to monitor the situation.

The district has been warning parents about the widespread flu cases in the state since Jan. 12, but Serena Hills didn't see its spike in sick students until the end of this week, Smith said. By Friday, he estimates between 15 percent and 20 percent of the school's students had called in sick or had to leave early because of illness. How many of those illnesses were specifically caused by the flu or were flu-related is unclear, said Smith, adding that at a school with an enrollment of 330 kids, that many absences is alarming.

"Even 10 percent at a mid-size elementary is significant,' he said.

Steps are now being taken to aggressively clean and disinfect the Chicago Heights school in an effort to eliminate as many traces of the norovirus — the most common cause of the "stomach flu" — and other viruses that could be responsible for this possible outbreak. Although not related to the influenza, or flu, virus, norovirus can cause nausea, vomiting and other stomach problems. A low-grade fever and muscle aches also can occur.

People become infected by and spread norovirus in a variety of ways:

• Direct contact with someone already infected.
• Touching surfaces or objects with the virus and then touching their hand to their mouth.
• Eating or drinking contaminated food and beverages or eating and drinking from the same utensil or glass as someone with the virus.

Symptoms start between 12 and 48 hours after a person has been exposed to the virus, and they can last one to two days. In its letter about the virus, the district urged parents to keep kids sick with the stomach flu out of school and other group activities until 48 hours after their symptoms had subsided.

RELATED: 106 Dead From Flu Nationwide, Illinois Outbreak Continues

The intensive cleaning measures at Serena Hills will take place between Friday night and Saturday, and the custodial staff will use a hospital-grade cleaner reserved for special circumstances, Smith said. Extra duty custodians will disinfect all of the school's classrooms, common areas, high-touch surfaces and bathrooms. as well as desks, tables, door handles, panic bars, sinks and fountains. Special attention also will be paid to large common areas, such as the gym, which doubles as the school's cafeteria, he added.

Once the cleaning is complete at Serena Hills, the district will focus its efforts on Parker Junior High School in Flossmoor, since many of that school's students might have brothers or sisters who attend Serena Hills, Smith said. After that, the district will move on to its three other elementaries, he added.

Smith said the district and school officials will remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation at Serena Hills. He also urged parents to take the necessary precautions to keep their kids from catching the flu or stomach flu.

The current flu season is responsible for 106 deaths across the United States, including a 10-year-old boy died in Illinois who died of flu-related complications in December. Hospitals around the state and in the area, such as Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and the University of Chicago Medical Center, are continuing to enforce visitor restrictions in order to stem the spread of the illness.

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