Waukesha Student Positive For Norovirus After High School Dance

WAUKESHA, WI — One Waukesha student tested positive for norovirus after nearly 20 local high school students reported symptoms after a prom dinner, the Waukesha Health Department said on Thursday.

Other students who reported similar symptoms didn't match the timing to be traced back to the prom dinner, Waukesha County Health Department officer Benjamin Jones said in a statement.

There were 17 students at Waukesha North High School who reported symptoms around the time of prom on April 9, Jones added. Health officials haven't found a source of the illness.

Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Here's how the virus can spread.

• Direct contact with infected people
• Drinking or eating contaminated food or water
• Touching a contaminated surface and then putting your unwashed hands in your mouth

Not all the students' reports of gastrointestinal issues link back to prom, high school principal Kristin Higgins said in a letter to parents on April 14.

Parents who think their child is ill after the prom dinner should reach out to the Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services at 262-896-8430.