<p>S has a friend at Wisconsin and heard about some wierd virus going around campus. Sorry I don't know anything else about it--just that students are afraid of being exposed to it...Any info from anybody at UW or parent of a UW student??</p>
<p>What about it? It's (said to be) the Norovirus going around, but they haven't called it an outbreak yet. It started in Sellery Hall, and that's where the majority of confirmed cases have been, although I think some sororities and frats have had it as well.</p>
<p>I don't think it's that scary and people are being insanely dramatic about it. It's not pleasant though, I'll give them that, and I would definitely not want to have it and miss class because of it.</p>
<p>I should add that although I don't think it's confirmed, other dorms are saying they have residents in the dorm that have it. Apparently mine just got someone today. Eh.</p>
<p>I encountered some residents that had it. For them it was about 12 hours only. It was bad, but they said it wasn't anything they hadn't felt before, diarrhea, no vomiting for them.</p>
<p>It's unpleasant, and highly contagious through contact, but kind of "whatever" since many people wouldn't have reported a thing and just called it a "24-hour bug" had they not known about the Norovirus.</p>
<p>Norovirus is not life threatening but it's also not something to be taken lightly. It is the highly contagious nature of the bug that makes it something that health services wants to contain. Containing it is the goal and that's what they try to do through information, education and sanitizing. They also haven't confirmed yet whether it is norovirus.</p>
<p>Physician parent here. Read the UW website info- they seem to be doing a good job dealing with it- informing students et al. Don't worry, not like the hepatitis A problems you may have read about in recent months/years- sounds like a nasty illness, but brief and without future consequences.</p>
<p>Question for wis75, the physician parent - Would contracting the virus then confer immunity? Or does it mutate so that reinfection is possible?</p>
<p>Good questions, just googled noroviruses and the CDC norovirus Q&A site was at the top. Many strains of similar viruses, therefore probably mutates and even immunity to the one you had won't prevent another. Some people are genetically more susceptible, noroviruses common in the environment, good handwashing et al helps, self limiting illness, no long term complications- reminds me of the common cold/URI and why we don't have a vaccine for that.</p>