Grand Ledge kindergarten cancels school after more than 1/4 of students get ill

GRAND LEDGE — A kindergarten building in Grand Ledge has closed for the rest of the week after more than 100 students were reported having norovirus symptoms or were absent from school.

Students at Neff Kindergarten Center have reported nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, said Sarah Surna, the community health promotion specialist at the Barry Eaton County Health Department, symptoms that lead the health department to suspect the bug is a norovirus-type illness.

Tests are underway to confirm what is causing the illness, she said.

The district has to report attendance levels to the health department each week, Surna said. When about 100 students were out sick on Wednesday — more than a quarter of the school’s student body — the district and health department decided to close it for the rest of the week.

Neff was the only school in the Grand Ledge district that had concerning absenteeism, Grand Ledge Public Schools Communications Director John Ellsworth said. Closing the school gives the district time to thoroughly clean and disinfect the building and buses and allow sick children to recover.

Ellsworth said he expects the school to reopen Monday.

The district asks families to keep children home if they have flu-like symptoms. Kids should be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of norovirus include:

  • Vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.
  • nausea.
  • Stomach pain.
  • Fever.
  • Headache.
  • Body aches.

Affected people generally develop symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to the virus, according to the CDC. Most people will get better within one to three days.

Norovirus is extremely contagious. It can spread through contaminated food or through surfaces that are contaminated with the virus.

To prevent norovirus, the CDC recommends people:

  • Wash their hands thoroughly.
  • Handle and prepare food safely.
  • Don’t prepare food for or care for others when sick.
  • Clean and disinfect any surfaces that may be contaminated.
  • Wash laundry thoroughly.

There is no vaccine for norovirus. Those who are sick should rest and drink fluids to prevent dehydration.