About 100 students were sick Wednesday.
HONOR/BENZIE CO. -- A virus in a local school has infected more than a hundred students and health officials have been called in.
Dozens of students were out of class Thursday at Platte River Elementary School in Benzie County.
Health officials say symptoms point to Norovirus, also known as stomach flu.
Thursday, the school was working to wash away the bugs.
"This is way different than what we would have at any other given point and time, so we're going, there's a bug out there somewhere," said Platte River Elementary Principal Phil Cook.
Phones rang off the hook at Platte River Elementary School Wednesday morning and the same thing happened Thursday. The bug, Norovirus, or what some call the stomach flu, ended up in the school and it spread like wildfire.
"Everybody had the same symptoms, it was a stomach virus, vomiting, and they were just feeling lousy," said Cook.
The school has 310 students. Wednesday, more than 100 missed school, and Thursday, 80 stayed home sick. Benzie-Leelanau County Health Department investigated the at-first mysterious illness, and officials say Norovirus is extremely contagious and can be spread by air, surface, food, and water.
"It’s transmittable from the time you have symptoms, shortly before then, until after the symptoms are gone," said Health Official Bill Crawford.
The school sent home a health department letter tonight warning parents of the illness and encouraging parents to keep their sick children at home. It also encourages a stay away from school for 72 hours after they feel better. The entire school has been completely disinfected.
"It’s just so contagious even the best efforts sometimes don't cause positive results," said Crawford.
Crawford says the school did exactly what it should have. He says it's likely the virus could spread to other schools in the district because of sibling and friend interaction, but so far other schools in the area have not been affected.
You can fight the virus by taking a few precautions given by the health department.
Make sure if you have the Norovirus symptoms, if you’re vomiting, have diarrhea, or feel bloated, stay home until 72 hours after you feel better.
Another tip, use bleach to clean possibly infected surfaces.
And finally, the most important, wash your hands thoroughly.
It’s important to know there is not a vaccine for Norovirus.
