129 Hobe Sound elementary kids sick; health department investigating
November 14th, 2008 by Ana X. CeronSome 121 students were absent from Hobe Sound Elementary School on Friday, but county health officials announced there were no indications that something there caused the bug that sidelined dozens of students for three days.
On Wednesday, 118 of the school’s 715 students were out, with another 24 going home early after complaining of nausea and vomiting.
The absences prompted the school at 11555 SE Gomez Ave. to contact Martin County Health officials, who on Thursday sent two samples of vomit to a lab for analysis. The results Friday were inconclusive, said Mark Chittum, administrator for the department.
After three days of research, including interviews with 28 families with kids who missed school, Chittum said there was no evidence that the students had a food or water-borne illness, or that the school was the cause for the “bug” that was going around. There were “no indications that there was anything happening at the school itself,” he said.
On Thursday, 124 students were absent. About 30 students are absent from an elementary school during a typical day, Martin County School District spokeswoman Cathy Brennan said. But there was no way to tell whether the students who didn’t show up to school were ill, or whether parents were keeping them home as a precaution.
Health officials will continue to monitor the school on Monday. Chittum expects fewer absences then, because the weekend will give students a break from catching the bug from other kids at school.
In the meantime, the school has been doing extra cleaning in classrooms as a preventative measure, Brennan said. Teachers have also discussed with students the importance of washing their hands to prevent the spread of anything going around.
- Ana X. Ceron, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tags: Hobe Sound
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November 14th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
obviously, there’s a bug involved. I’m wondering if this isn’t related to the illnesses that strike people on cruises?
I’d be looking for a “typhoid mary” type, ie, a person who is a carrier of disease, but may not be sick themselves. A cafeteria worker, a janitor, someone who is in contact with the students or their environments. And of course, I’d check the water in bathrooms and fountains for contamination.
But health officials are knowledgeable about such thing and I’m sure they’re looking hard.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I’m a teacher in Jupiter and I got it too! This is definately the sickest I’ve ever been. I feel so bad for all of those kids that went through what I went through. Hopefully, i won’t share this with anyone.