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Virus breaks out in Sellery
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A norovirus outbreak has been identified within Sellery Hall, creating concern among residents of one of the University of Wisconsin’s largest residence halls.
Vomiting and diarrhea appeared as the most common symptoms, according to Craig Roberts, an epidemiologist for University Health Services. Other common problems include nausea and headaches.
Symptoms appear within 12 to 60 hours after exposure, and they last about 48 hours.
The norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis in humans, which is often mistaken as the stomach flu.
Between 20 and 30 residents of Sellery 6A have been fighting the virus since Thursday.
“The girls on my floor started showing symptoms of the virus on Thursday night,” said UW junior and Sellery 6A house fellow James Hardy. “It spread to the boys’ side over the weekend.”
Roberts said the norovirus spreads through stool-to-mouth contact. It enters through the mouth and is passed via the stool or vomit of an infected person. This can be a result of touching the infected person’s hand or by vomit-contaminated surfaces.
To avoid catching the disease, Roberts recommends residents be overly cautious and wash their hands frequently.
“It is very important to wash your hands after you use the bathroom and before you eat,” Roberts said.
UW freshman Ibrahim Balkhy contracted the virus Sunday morning.
“There was lots of puking and diarrhea — it was hell,” Balkhy said. “All I have eaten are saltines.”
Along with helping his residents cope with the virus, Hardy also had to deal with contracting the virus himself.
“My condition was really bad, so I went to Meriter Hospital on Friday,” Hardy said. “With the help of many fluids, I was able to get over the virus within a day. Rest is key to fighting it.”
Although 6A is finally starting to recover from the norovirus, the infection is rapidly spreading to other floors in Sellery’s fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth floor on the A tower, Hardy said.
“I’m doing all I can to prevent myself from contracting the norovirus,” UW freshman Reema Kaloti said. “I wash my hands constantly to the tune of ‘Happy Birthday’ as recommended, disinfect the sink after I use it with the housing-provided disinfectant and constantly apply anti-bacterial hand sanitizer. I sound anal, but this is just a really bad time for me to get sick.”
A similar outbreak occurred in December 2006 and January 2007 throughout Madison. More than 100 people contracted the norovirus at the Veterans Hospital, Monona Terrace, the Willows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Edgewater Hotel.
Ill students are encouraged to contact UHS for advice at 608-265-5600.
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Thats funny, I wash my hands to the tune of “Rubber Ducky” from Sesame Street.
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stop eating poo kids
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awww. shitty.
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“I sound anal, but this is just a really bad time for me to get sick.” Poor choice of words?
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hahaha a virus transmitted only by mouth contact to shit and vomit is passing through a whole residence hall. you guys are gross! what do you guys do? have parties where you eat each others shit and vomit and watch reality TV?
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Maybe they should quit tongue jacking each others shitboxes.
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To Sellery 6A. Please do not take any other football cheers, such as eat sh** literally.
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Perhaps ATM has become overly popular among the freshman crowd
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The cases of vomiting due to the virus are surely over reported. Most of that vomiting comes from naive freshman coming back to the dorms in a drunken stupor, and proceeding to puke over anything and everything in the bathroom. God bless the cleaning staff.
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it is an airborne virus as well, that should definitely be mentioned
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Sex Out Loud should stop teaching these kids how “cool” it is to eat A$s. sick.
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I live in the Sellery and I don’t understand why nothing is being done. Don’t they realize that this virus will eventually go to everyone unless they actually do something? I laughed when i read that they had “contained” the virus. Yea right…
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I thought the pun on anal was hilarious, actually. She must be pretty smart…
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Here’s the problem-you go to the bathroom, you’re vomiting and you have diarrhea simultaneously, you then flush the toilet,touching the handle, then you go to the sink and turn on the faucet ALL before you have washed your hands. Then along comes one of you skeptical sadists..just minding your own business and what do you know, you eat shit too.. That caring staff should have been disinfecting the minute they suspected an outbreak. These germs are also airborne for a short time and will live on surfaces unless disinfected with chlorine bleach, remember 100,000 germs can live on the head of a pin.
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y’all gotta stop going ass-to-mouth over in Sellery. you never go ass-to-mouth
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brilliantly written article
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I always love eating a good poop…. Who knew it could prove to sicken me? I thought it was just all good “Clean” Fun…
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According to the CDC the virus is NOT airborne.
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just don’t let any DGs or Sellery kids take dumps in your apartments.