Gastrointestinal illness outbreak sickens several students in Camden County, New Jersey school

A stomach bug sickened several students at a Camden County elementary school, the health department announced Friday.

The Camden County Health Department said it was notified of a gastrointestinal illness outbreak at Central Elementary in Haddonfield on Tuesday after reports of an unusual number of students experiencing symptoms.

There is no word on how many students fell ill, but on Friday, the health department said the number of students has grown. 

Gastrointestinal outbreaks are very contagious and can spread easily in a school. The health department said the school has done an extensive cleaning with an emphasis on disinfecting high-touch surfaces. Students experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms have been excluded from attendance.

Most common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and nausea. Symptoms usually resolve on their own in a couple of days.

"Viral gastroenteritis is a great concern," Dr. Martin Topiel, with Virtua Health, said. This time of year is the peak of norovirus; this is the time of year we see it spread. Children have that kind of virus, and it can be difficult to eradicate —  good hand washing is required." 

Topiel said it spreads on contaminated surfaces. In addition to careful handwashing, clothing should be washed in hot water, and all surfaces touched by anyone with symptoms need to be disinfected.

This is usually not dangerous, but staying hydrated is most important.

It's unclear if the illness was norovirus.