Clifton Hills Elementary School in Chattanooga, TennesseeA mild virus is to blame for a rash of absences early this month at Clifton Hills Elementary School.
About one-fifth of the school’s students were absent or sent home on March 9 and 11, along with several teachers. After investigating the outbreak, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department officials say nothing serious occurred.
“Kids were not ill for very long and not severely ill,” said Margaret Zylstra, epidemiology manager at the health department.
The health department used a telephone triage system to contact students and gather information on their illnesses. While some were out for other reasons, many showed similar symptoms, including sore throat, headache, fever, diarrhea and vomiting.
Zylstra said such viral illnesses are typical for this time of year, though such an outbreak is usually distributed across schools.