Oct 6, 2008 10:48 am US/Pacific
200 USC Students Sickened With Stomach Virus
LOS ANGELES
About 200 USC students have come down with severely-distressed digestive systems caused by a virus that makes people sick just 12
hours after exposure, school officials said Sunday.
But the small epidemic was not spread at a cafeteria, as originally broadcast to students by campus officials, said USC spokesman James Grant. And students are being told it is safe to attend classes Monday.
"It's business as usual on Monday, we're not going to cancel any
classes," Grant said "People just need to take simple precautions, like
washing hands."
Long lines were reported at the school's infirmary, the USC University
Park Health Center, on Saturday. Students were urged to stay away from
Saturday's football game if they had symptoms.
Health Center director Dr. Lawrence Neinstein said the sickness is
highly-contagious, but cannot spread very far without human contact. The school is not recommending a full-scale quarantine, he said, because washing hands with soap frequently can prevent contamination.
"Students who do not feel well are asked to stay at home, take plenty
of liquids, and not socialize until they are feeling better," Neinstein said
Saturday.
As news of the sickness first spread, an e-mail was sent to USC students that said the virus was being spread at the "Everybody's Kitchen" cafeteria, Grant said. "We have learned that this is a virus that has no food component, and the students who got sick had eaten all over on and off the campus," the USC spokesman said.
The closing of the cafeteria Friday night "was an unfortunate
overreaction by some well-meaning campus security people, who thought they were doing what was needed," Grant said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
