Virus closes Arlee schools a second day

By Kim Briggeman - 01/18/2008

MISSOULA — One day wasn’t enough.

Health officials on Thursday identified the bug that has laid Arlee schools low as the highly contagious norovirus, and superintendent John Jay Miller canceled classes again Friday at the elementary, junior high and high schools.

Arlee’s sports teams are also grounded. The boys’ and girls’ basketball squads were scheduled to visit Hot Springs on Friday and play host to Victor on Saturday. Wrestlers were slated to compete at the Darby Invitational on Saturday.

“It’s a tough day to be a superintendent,” Miller said with a sigh.

County and state health officials applauded Miller’s decision.

“I just can’t tell you how much we appreciate John’s proactiveness here,” said Brigid O’Connor, infectious disease nurse for Lake County. “If the kids had been back to school tomorrow, we might have been in the same situation next week.” School is out at Arlee on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. An extra day on Friday will allow the custodial staff time and some volunteer helpers to do a more thorough disinfecting job.

“And it just gives that virus an additional weekend and Monday to run its course,” said Miller. “They say 48 to 72 hours is the most dangerous time for the gestation period.” Lake County health officials said anyone who is ill with vomiting or diarrhea should stay home or away from others for 48 hours after their symptoms are gone.

The bug peaked on Wednesday, when more than 100 students either missed school or went home sick. Miller said up to half of Arlee’s student population and many staff members have been sick.

Test results from the state health lab that arrived late Thursday afternoon confirmed the offending bug is norovirus, a viral gastroenteritis also known as Norwalk or “cruise ship disease.” Billings and Yellowstone County have been dealing with norovirus since 2006, when as many as 4,700 people were sickened. It cropped up again last year at several nursing homes in the area.

Norovirus causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. It generally strikes suddenly and violently and lasts one or two days. Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. They can’t grow outside of a person’s body, and they’re not affected by antibiotics.

Miller emphasized that the virus was not food-borne. He’d heard “a bad rumor” that it came from the school kitchen, he said, and that’s not true.

Norovirus is very contagious and can spread rapidly through such environments as day care centers, schools and nursing homes.

No cases have been reported outside Arlee, O’Connor said.

She recommended frequent and thorough hand-washing and, where the illness is found, frequently touched surfaces be disinfected with a 1-to-10 bleach solution.

Miller hopes the two missed days won’t affect the school calendar.

“I’ll probably work with our state Superintendent Linda McCulloch to try to get those days forgiven,” he said. “According to state statutes, I have the discretion to have one forgiven, but I’m going to ask for both of them. If we have to make it up, we have one day built in as a snow day that we can use.” The basketball games will be rescheduled if dates can be agreed upon by the other schools.

“We have an open date at the end of the season on Feb. 9, but it depends on Hot Springs and Victor,” said Miller. “We might end up playing on two Tuesdays.” Reporter Kim Briggeman can be reached at 523-5266 or at kbriggeman@missoulian.com.