A Cal Poly student who is living on campus was diagnosed with norovirus Friday, Jan 11, according to a campus-wide health notification email. The student is being treated for the highly contagious virus.
Although there has only been one confirmed case, University Spokesperson Matt Lazier said Campus Health and Wellbeing reported more students experiencing norovirus symptoms.
Norovirus causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines, which results in nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms may also include a fever, body aches and headaches. The CDC warns that vomiting may lead to extreme dehydration.
Symptoms typically develop 12 to 48 hours after exposure and can last one to three days.
To prevent the virus from spreading, custodial staff have cleaned all areas of campus, including classrooms and communal spaces the affected student recently visited.
There have been several cases of norovirus on campus in recent years, including more than a dozen students reporting symptoms of the illness in 2017. The virus is common in universities and has caused some schools to go as far as close their campuses due to an outbreak.
The Health Center asked that students be sure to wash their hands thoroughly, cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing, wash fresh produce and stay hydrated.