GAYLORD, Minn. - Dozens of students were out sick Wednesday after an unknown stomach illness swept through the school classrooms in Sibley County.
"This afternoon, we had a 178 confirmed absent," said Sibley East Public School Principal Mari Lu Martens. "We believe the majority of those were because of vomiting."
Around 600 elementary and junior high students go to Sibley East, about a third of them were out sick Wednesday with parents calling in reporting their children having flu-like symptoms.
Eleven staff members were out sick too, complaining of the same symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
"It comes on fast and all of a sudden you're running to the bathroom," said parent Liz Reishus.
Saltine crackers are within an arm's length from Reishus and her family. She got sick on Sunday and two of her four kids got sick Tuesday.
"We actually had to take her to the emergency room because a blood vessel must have burst because she was actually vomiting blood," she said of her 10-year-old daughter, Ginger.
Symptoms seem to only last for about 24 hours. But it's prompted both the Sibley County and the State Health departments to investigate.
"We don't have a who, what, where, or why right now. We may in the next couple days," said Laura Reid with the Sibley County Health Department.
In the meantime, school staff did an extra scrub down of surfaces Wednesday afternoon. And the school has temporarily shut down the self-service food line; instead food will be served to the students. And they won't be able to share or pass food in the classroom either.
"We are recommending because of the large amount of absences that they stay home 24 hours from the last time they vomit," said Martens.
Health officials advise parents to treat the flu-like symptoms just as they normally would.
And in Reishus's case, hope for the best.
"When it hits, it hits hard," she said.
Officials also urge anyone with questions or concerns to contact the Minnesota Department of Health at 507-344-2717 or 1-877-676-5414.
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