A reported 230 students were not in attendance Friday at Oxford Middle School due to an unidentified illness that swept the building last week.
The massive attendance drop began on Thursday, Oct. 14 with a reported 170 absences, or 17 percent of the school’s student population.
Officials said the rash of absences was because students were struck with a gastrointestinal (stomach and intestines) illness, unrelated to the flu virus.
‘It’s anyone’s guess what it is,? said George Miller, Health Officer for the Oakland County Health Department, adding the illness is not something a flu shot could have prevented. ‘There is no way, unless parents were willing to work with us by bringing in stool samples from their children, (so) we can diagnose what this is.?
Students complained of a short-lived bout of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to parents.
Middle School mother Theresa Kotsonas said the symptoms hit her daughter and best friend, ‘like a ton of bricks? on Thursday night. Kotsonal also has a child at Oxford Elementary School who did not get sick.
‘It seemed to be a 24-hour thing,? she said, ‘They were both sick and then it was done.?
Karen Sage, principal at the middle school said on Wednesday a higher than normal amount of students came to the office complaining of vomiting and diarrhea.
By Friday, 230 of the 930 students at the school called in sick, but Superintendent Virginia Brennan-Kyro said some parents reported they were keeping their children home as a precautionary measure.
Although absentee numbers were high for the district, Brennan-Kyro said the school was not closed because of a state mandate requiring schools remain open until absences are above 25 percent of the student population.
However, Brennan-Kyro said on both Thursday and Friday the staff took extra industrial cleaning measures to prevent further outbreak.
‘The staff increased cleaning to the next level (by) disinfecting door knobs, handles, and high traffic areas,? Brennan-Kyro said.
Because absentee numbers were high, the Oakland County Health Division was notified and inspected the school on Friday.
Officials said both the Friday inspection and a routine inspection at the beginning of this week passed.
‘It does not appear to be food-borne,? said George Miller, Health Officer for the Oakland County Health Division.
‘It’s a gastrointestinal thing, but I’d have to have a crystal ball to diagnose it.?
‘It’s just something they’ve passed to each other ? it’s not the flu virus.?
Miller warns this is the time of year to practice extra caution with hand washing when preparing foods and before eating.
Dr. Christina Campbell, of POH Medical Center ? Oxford, said the symptoms described by the students are not indicative of a flu virus, adding that the flu is not normally stomach-related, but exhibits upper respiratory distress.
Campbell suggested during any illness, parents should keep children hydrated with sports drinks, encourage plenty of hand washing, and permit no sharing of food or drinks.
Miller said parents should log on to the Oakland County Health Division website (www.co.oakland.mi.us\health) for more information on the flu virus and symptoms of gastrointestinal illnesses.