Number of Guelph university students sick with norovirus more than triples to 190
Kate Bueckert | CBC News | Posted: January 9, 2025 9:27 PM | Last Updated: 5 hours ago
Ontario school pauses larger-scale social programs, public health expects more cases
The reported number of University of Guelph students with gastroenteritis — a viral infection commonly known as stomach flu — has grown to 190, and public health officials are expecting many more cases.
The southern Ontario school confirmed on Wednesday that some students living in residence started to report symptoms on Monday. By Wednesday, there were more than 60 cases.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health confirmed to CBC News on Friday morning that the number has more than doubled and now sits at 190 cases. On Friday, public health said it had received report of a positive norovirus sample.
Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, says she expects the number of cases to rise in the coming days because of how easily the virus spreads.
"Norovirus is a terrible virus for anybody who's ever experienced it," she said Friday morning on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris.
The virus has been introduced into a residence where about 1,800 students live and Mercer says it will spread very easily.
"In fact, just a tiny, like a pin drop, like the head of a pin, if it gets on your hands and if you consume it can give you norovirus. So you get terrible vomiting, like all of a sudden you have to vomit," she said.
People may also experience diarrhea although the good news is the symptoms are often short lived, between 12 and 48 hours, she said.
"But it is really nasty," Mercer said, adding it's also a very difficult virus to kill.
"You have to have special cleaners, which the University of Guelph is doing," she said. "But you can imagine, no matter how many times you've cleaned, if somebody goes through the hallway with something on their hands or as is the case with this virus, maybe vomit on the carpet because they didn't quite get to the bathroom in time, it spreads the virus really easily."
Some social events paused at school
In a statement on its website, the university said it's aware of a cluster of cases in South Residence, plus cases in other on-campus residences.
"To help contain the spread, residence communities are temporarily moving away from larger-scale social programs that bring students from across campus together," the university said.
The school noted custodians are spending additional time cleaning commonly touched surfaces in the residences, including doorknobs and in washrooms.
"There is an awareness campaign planned promoting hygiene and best practices to prevent the spread of illness," the school said.
Students are being reminded to wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. People experiencing symptoms should not visit populated areas of the school.
Risk to community is low: Dr. Mercer
Mercer says the risk to the community as a whole is low as it appears students are spreading it among themselves.
"I'm not thinking it's a huge risk for people in the community anything more than what we would normally get, right?" Mercer said.
"What I am concerned is that we still have a lot of people on campus, people who are living in these residences who haven't been ill yet or visitors. We know students, they often interact with a lot of other students and sort of move around campus, they don't always even stay in their own dorm room for a period of time," she added.
"Some of these kids who are ill have gone to go home to their parents, which means that those families are also at risk of getting norovirus."
Mercer says anyone who is feeling sick should stay home, stay away from others even inside the home if possible and wash hands meticulously.