Norovirus to blame for outbreak at Ursinus College

The cause of an epidemic last week that sickened nearly 200 Ursinus College students and shut down the campus’s dining operations has been identified as norovirus, The Mercury News has learned.

Montgomery County Health Department officials say a local medical center confirmed the stomach virus after test results for two students came back positive.

The health department also revealed that it found 12 health violations in Wismer Dining Hall, including open pesticides near food, dead bugs and improper hand washing, according to the online report. However, in a follow-up report on Feb. 13, officials said Ursinus and its dining facility were in compliance and met its recommendations.

“While the illness has been truly unfortunate, this has been a model of cooperation between the various health agencies and Ursinus,” Montgomery County Commissioner Valerie Arkoosh told The Mercury News. “We will continue to be vigilant and work closely with Ursinus to focus on hygiene measures to reduce transmission.”

Read the full story via The Mercury News.