Source: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com, February 10, 2016
By: Deana Harley, David Chang and Aundrea Cline-Thomas

Although a college spokesperson said the illnesses have yet to be identified, health officials said the symptoms resemble those of norovirus.

Norovirus may have sickened 100 Ursinus College students, 22 of whom were sent to the emergency room or urgent care late Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to school officials and the local health department.

Officials with the eastern Pennsylvania college said most students fell ill after dinnertime Tuesday and exhibited similar symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.

Students were taken to various hospitals, including Einstein Medical Center and Phoenixville Hospital. Officials from the Center for Disease Control and the Montgomery County Health Department responded to the hospitals.

“It’s been miserable,” said La’Shante Cox, a Senior at Ursinus and one of the hospitalized students. “It’s been absolute misery. I kept throwing up. I kept going to the bathroom and it was an ongoing thing.”

Thomas Moore, another Senior at the school, had similar symptoms that kept him bedridden for hours. He ate for the first time in 24 hours Wednesday night.

“I feel like it would help a little more if we tried to take a couple of days off so everyone could actually recuperate,” he said.

Phoebe French, another student who fell ill, said she felt strange hours after eating in Lower Wismer, one of the dining halls on campus. French said it will be a long time before she eats campus food again.

Although a college spokesperson said the illnesses have yet to be identified, County Commissioner Valerie Arkoosh said the symptoms resemble those of norovirus, a gastrointestinal ailment. Norovirus can be transmitted easily from person to person, Arkoosh said, or it can be foodborne.

The Ursinus spokesperson said Wednesday that officials are working with the health department to determine how the illness spread.

As a precaution, Ursinus shut down its dining halls as health officials continue to investigate he cause of the outbreak. The gym on campus was also closed.

“I’m not eating on campus because I’m not willing to risk that everything was cleaned and inspected thoroughly enough to make sure it’s safe to eat in there again,” said student Karla Pisarcik.

Community restaurants and local businesses are partnering with Ursinus College to provide food for students.

Classes still went on as scheduled Wednesday though students say they were empty. Officials spent the day cleaning residential and common areas. The college and classes will also be open Thursday.

“Good hand-washing is really, really important,” Arkoosh said. “Wash any surfaces that may have come into contact with the virus, including sinks and door handles.”

The incubation period for the virus is 12 to 48 hours, with a median of 33 hours. People who are infected are contagious for a couple days.

The illnesses occurred only one day after the death of Ursinus history professor Dr. Richard King.