Explanation Sought For Illness

At A Glance

Sick At School

Hellstern students who went home early this week because of sickness:

Monday: 3

Tuesday: 15

Wednesday: 4

Thursday: 94

Source: Rick Schaeffer, Springdale Public Schools

— State health officials worked Friday to determine what caused the illness that sickened about 300 Hellstern Middle School students this week.

School District officials took the rare step of canceling school Friday at Hellstern because so many students came down with some kind of stomach bug Thursday.

Dirk Haselow, epidemiologist for the state, said Friday the students’ reported symptoms — including vomiting, nausea and diarrhea — indicated the norovirus might be to blame.

That can’t be confirmed, however, until tests of stool samples collected from infected students can be completed. Those samples were delivered to Little Rock on Friday to be examined by the Arkansas Department of Health. Results were expected either Friday night or some time this weekend.

“We’re hoping the samples we get will nail down the cause of this,” Haselow said.

The norovirus causes a person’s stomach and intestines or both to become inflamed, leading to stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is very contagious and can be obtained from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces.

It is not related to the flu, which is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus.

The best way to help prevent norovirus is to practice proper hand-washing and general cleanliness, according to the CDC website.

Norovirus outbreaks are not uncommon, Haselow said. An outbreak at Little Rock’s Pulaski Heights Middle School in August, for example, caused more than 100 students to miss school.

School officials said 316 Hellstern students — about one-third of the student body — missed all or part of the school day Thursday because of sickness. Of those, 94 left school early, said Rick Schaeffer, School District spokesman. Some Hellstern staff members also reported being sick with stomach-viruslike symptoms Thursday.

Hellstern was thoroughly cleaned late Thursday. It won’t reopen until Tuesday because Monday is a holiday.

Most families got the message one way or another about Hellstern’s closing, which was announced late Thursday, Schaeffer said. About 10 cars arrived at school Friday morning. Principal Angela Coats met them to inform them of the reason for school being canceled.

Hellstern buses ran their regular routes Friday morning to make sure no students were standing around waiting for a ride, Schaeffer said.

Haselow said he was very pleased district officials decided to close Hellstern on Friday.

“It represents the best opportunity we have to contain that outbreak and prevent the other 600 (Hellstern students) from getting ill,” he said. “Norovirus is a virus that can just rip through a facility and essentially sicken the majority of people there.”

State health officials visited Hellstern on Friday. They found no evidence of mishandling of food.

“We visited the kitchen, and it was clean,” Haselow said. “Very appropriate procedures were in place to make sure children were healthy. We found no indication they did anything wrong.”

All of Springdale’s buses were sterilized Thursday, Schaeffer said.

Springdale’s districtwide absenteeism rate was about 11 percent Friday. Schaeffer said the normal rate for this time of year is around 5 percent.

Smith and Young elementary schools feed into Hellstern, and Hellstern feeds into Central Junior High. Smith, Young and Central reported a combined six students went home sick Friday.

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