University of Maryland Officials Warn Of Possible Additional Norovirus Case

University of Maryland officials are warning people who have attended activities at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in the last 24 hours that they might have been exposed to the norovirus that apparently caused about 100 teenagers on campus to get ill earlier this week.

An individual with a music camp became ill at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center last night, and it is possible that other people may have been exposed to the virus before preventive measures and sanitization could take place.

The individual who got sick last night had stayed in LaPlata Hall, the same residence hall where 300 high school students attending the National Student Leadership Conference were staying until about 100 of them became ill earlier this week. Everyone who had been staying in LaPlata was moved to other residence halls, and those who got sick were kept separate from those who did not. This is the first case to show up in the group that had not originally gotten sick.

The university has significantly expanded the scope of disinfecting efforts to include a number of additional buildings. All spaces visited by people in both the leadership conference and the music camp are being identified for cleanup.

State health officials have identified the norovirus as the likely cause of the illness. Norovirus is highly contagious and is transmitted through person-to-person contact, contact with contaminated surfaces and contact with contaminated food. It causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually last no more than two days, and there are no long-term health effects.

The virus does not respond to treatment. People with those symptoms should drink plenty of fluids and seek medical assistance if symptoms become severe and prevent the retention of fluids.

The most effective preventive measure is frequent hand-washing, particularly after using the toilet and before eating.

For more information about noroviruses, visit this web site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-qa.htm.