During the last month McCosh Health Center has faced an increasing number of gastroenteritis cases, McCosh staff members said.
Since students began returning to campus from winter recess 53 people have been admitted to in-patient services for the illness and at least 20 more have been diagnosed with milder cases that did not require an overnight stay.
Gastroenteritis, more commonly referred to as the stomach flu, is not a form of influenza, though it is viral. The symptoms can include nausea, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever and, particularly in the current strain, headaches.
"There has been a very significant number of cases this last weekend, although it has dropped off over the last few days," said Dr. Janet Neglia, the director of clinical services at McCosh. "Between the gastroenteritis and Bicker this last weekend, [McCosh] has been very busy."
Nevertheless, Neglia has noted that McCosh has not experienced panic and that the students' use of the facility has been appropriate. Those that have been admitted to McCosh have been genuinely sick. Some students have been so dehydrated that they had to be given fluid inravenously.
. The symptoms can appear suddenly, and people who have been infected with the virus can go from feeling fine to feeling awful in a matter of hours, Neglia said. She described the usual sensation as being as though one had been "hit by a train."
Gastroenteritis is to some extent annual in nature. This time of year is when it is most likely to occur.
It is not, however, as reliably seasonal as the flu, and the extent to which the campus has experienced it is atypical.
There are no available medicines for gastroenteritis except those that treat the symptoms, and having had a flu shot does not help. If students believe that they may have gastroenteritis, they should avoid aspirin and ibuprofen, which are intestinal irritants, Neglia said.
Students who are concerned with protecting themselves against gastroenteritis should remember that the virus is usually transmitted by human contact. Things like sharing food and drinks greatly increase the likelihood of spreading it, Neglia said.
"Hand-washing is key," she said. "[The virus] can be easily spread by people without washed hands."
McCosh urges students who have questions about gastroenteritis to call the clinic at its 24-hour telephone number, 258-3141.
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