On Sept. 23, Niagara Region Public Health confirmed that norovirus is the cause of ongoing gastrointestinal illness reported among students on Brock University’s main campus.
Norovirus is “a highly contagious virus that causes symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and chills,” according to Niagara Region Public Health in an article by CHCH News.
Norovirus causes around 400 outbreaks across the country each year, with periods that typically occur during the fall and winter months.
For first-year student Isabella Zylbring, her illness began with vomiting and nausea after eating at Brock’s dining hall. In an interview with The Brock Press, she talked about her experience.
“After I ate, I didn’t feel great towards the end of the day,” she said. “I just felt like very […] malnourished and dehydrated after I spent all night throwing up.”
Zylbring had eaten fish and soft serve ice cream before becoming sick. She added that she heard rumours about those foods making other students sick but strongly believes that it was caused by the fish.
However, despite identifying the type of illness, neither Public Health nor University officials have confirmed any specific food as the source, as of writing.
Reports of gastrointestinal symptoms are connected to students eating in Brock residences and dining areas. In a Sept. 23 update to members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, Brad Sutherland, a member of Brock’s Health and Safety committee, addressed Brock staff and provided more information about the norovirus spreading.
“The centre of it all seems to be located mostly in the Lowenberger Residence/dining hall,” Sutherland wrote.
In an interview with The Brock Press, Sutherland shared how he and his staff were able to narrow it down to that area.
“Our members work in the residences; they mentioned to me where it seemed to have originated and where they were getting the majority of the calls from,” he said.
Sutherland also shared how an employee became ill after cleaning up vomit from an infected student despite wearing protective equipment. He encouraged staff to speak up and contact their supervisors if they have concerns about working in infected areas. For employees working in Lowenberger, Sutherland shared how they followed required proper safety procedures.
“A proper reporting system was put into place, proper PPE was available to any staff who needed/required it, and the appropriate authority (Niagara Region Public Health) was contacted quickly and brought in,” he said.
The university has also increased cleaning and disinfecting on campus. Sutherland also encouraged employees to regularly wipe down surfaces, particularly in student-facing areas.
“If you wipe down surfaces in your area, it would be good to maintain regular wiping with Lysol wipes or something similar,” he wrote in his update.
Dining halls are still open, however, certain service options have changed in response to norovirus outbreak.
Zylbring said that she noticed changes to the dining hall after becoming sick, such as staff now serving food in areas that were previously self-serve.
“From the emails they sent, they said that they’re changing the format of the buffet style, so it’s more like they’re serving you,” she said.
Public Health warns that norovirus spreads easily from person to person, suggesting that students wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially before eating or touching food, entering dining halls and after using the bathroom.
Students living in residences are heavily advised to clean and disinfect shared spaces and frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs and shared bathrooms, with products containing bleach.
The university has not revealed how many students have been affected since the outbreak started earlier last month however, Brock has confirmed that cases are currently decreasing.
“The University did a great job responding to the situation. I have spoken with members (workers) in the residence, and they felt safe, had proper protection and instructions from management,” Sutherland said, upon reflecting on the norovirus outbreak. “I used to work in the residences, every year there would be colds/flu that go around [and] I think it is expected when you have so many students.”
Anyone experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms should stay home, drink fluids and avoid contact with others. Students who have recovered are advised to wait at least 48 hours of being symptom-free before returning to school or work to help prevent the spread of norovirus.
Brock and Niagara Region Public Health are encouraging students to follow these procedures as the university continues to respond to the outbreak.
Students who are feeling unwell can contact Niagara Region Public Health at inspect@niagararegion.ca, providing their full name, date of birth, residence building and room number, phone number, symptoms and any other relevant details.
For immediate medical attention, After Hours care is available through community walk-in clinics, online and telephone support.