Norovirus outbreak affects 35 students at 3 schools in Highline District

SEATTLE -- A norovirus outbreak was reported among 35 students at three schools in the Highline School District Tuesday, a district official said.

Catherine Carbone Rogers, chief communications officer for the district, said those sick with the virus were 22 students from Cascade Middle School, 10 students from Southern Heights Elementary and three students from Beverly Park Elementary.

Rogers said the schools are disinfecting the facilities and asking that sick students stay home for 48 hours after the flu-like symptoms are gone. The district is also asking that parents of healthy students not keep them home as a precaution.

The CDC said you can get norovirus from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed (acute gastroenteritis). This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up.