Mystery Gastrointestinal Outbreak Closes Alabama Elementary School
An elementary school in Alabama has been shut down for the rest of the week after 773 of its 974 students were absent due to a suspected outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness. The outbreak has also affected four other area schools, with a total of 1,231 students absent. Health officials are investigating the cause and conducting deep cleaning of the affected schools. Norovirus activity is high across the country, and the CDC notes that outbreaks are commonly linked to schools and childcare centers.
