Liberty Union High School District Warns of Possible Gastroenteritis Outbreak

On Wednesday, the Liberty Union High School District issued a letter to parents warning of a possible viral gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-1-tis) outbreak among some students enrolled in the Liberty Union High School District.

The letter did not provide details as to which high school(s) were impacted, which could impact residents of both Brentwood and Oakley, but said they are working with Contra Costa County Public Health on the issue.

Below is a copy of the letter:

May 24, 2017

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We have become aware of a possible viral gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-1-tis) outbreak among some students enrolled in the Liberty Union High School  District. We are working closely with Contra Costa County Public Health to continue to monitor the situation and be prepared to effectively respond if the number of students and staff who become ill increases. In order to maintain the health and safety of our students, we have arranged for custodial staff to disinfect all desks, table tops, and door knobs. At this point, the Communicable Diseases Division of the Contra Costa County Public Health

has advised us there is no need to quarantine the school or take any further actions besides providing you with this public notice and continue to monitor our students and employees’ attendance and reported symptoms. We will continue to prioritize our students’ and employees’ safety and will inform you of any noteworthy information.

Though several viruses can cause gastroenteritis, norovirus is the most common. All are easily transmitted through food, by person-to-person contact, or through contaminated surfaces. Therefore, take caution if one of your family members is affected because the virus spreads easily in the home as well. Norovirus is sometimes called the “stomach flu,” but is not related to influenza (the flu), which is a respiratory viral illness that causes fever, cough, chills, headache, muscle aches, runny nose, and sore throat. Norovirus often causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. Symptoms may also include low-grade fever, headache, weakness, and muscle aches. Symptoms can begin as early as

12 hours after exposure to the virus or as late as 48 hours. The symptoms of norovirus usually last 1-3 days. In most cases, ill persons fully recover without medical attention. However, norovirus infection can result in hospitalization due mainly to dehydration, especially in the very young and elderly. Those with severe diarrhea should drink lots of liquids. Symptoms that are not seen with norovirus infection are bloody diarrhea or high fever. We advise contacting your medical provider right away for any of the above symptoms. Please notify the school when calling your child in sick if they have any of these symptoms.

Children and adults exhibiting symptoms of viral gastroenteritis should be excluded from school or other group activities for at least 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped. The best way to limit the spread of these viruses is frequent hand washing for at least 30 seconds using soap and warm running water, being sure to completely clean all areas of hands and under fingernails. Preventing contamination of food, drinks, water, and ice is also very important. People who have been sick with norovirus-like symptoms should not prepare or serve food to others for at least 3 days after their symptoms are gone. It’s important to know that most household cleaners are ineffective against norovirus and bleach is the only reliable means of disinfection.

Further information about norovirus and how to limit its spread can be found at Contra Costa County Public Health, https://cchealth.org/norovirus/ .

Sincerely,

Tony Shah, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Administrative/Student Services