Stomach bug shuts down school

MANAWA - Teachers and staff are not teaching for the rest of the week. Many are cleaning instead. They're trying to rid the school of a stomach bug that broke out Wednesday at Manawa Elementary School. Some Students and staff experienced vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

"We had almost 30 percent of the student population gone for one day," said Manawa School District Administrator Deb Watry.

In order to remedy the situation the school shut down for two days to steam clean the carpets, wipe down classrooms, and disinfect every item children touch.

"In an elementary building, students touch many items so it is a two day task," said Watry.

Kindergarten teacher Stacey White said everyone is pitching in, but it's a big job.

"We have emptied all of the shelves and we are washing each piece and bucket in the classroom to get it ready for the kids again on Monday," said White.

Teachers don't have the time to wash each individual toy by hand so they're using a dishwasher to help lighten the load.

The Waupaca County Health Department told FOX 11 the bug could be Norovirus, but officials won't know for sure until test results come back from the state hygiene lab next week.

"Knowing how that particular virus does act, and how it spreads very quickly through a facility-it's a good chance it would be Norovirus," said Jo Ellen Biadasz with the Waupaca County Department of Health and Human Services.

Whatever it is teachers said the illness spread quickly.

"They were dropping all over the place! Every time I walked by the office there were more kids heading for the nurse's office waiting with buckets for their ride," said several teachers.

School officials hope a few days off will return everything and everyone back to normal.

"I hope we have a healthy batch on Monday," said Watry.

The health department said hand washing is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to prevent disease spread.

The days off won't be vacation days. The elementary school students will need to make up the two days.

Four year old Kindergarten and Early Childhood will still have classes Friday.