From Katie Filion on assignment in New Zealand:

I have virtually no athletic capabilities, but during my elementary school days I was quite the track star. OK, maybe not a star, but I was good enough to make the track and field team.  I remember winning a few races, but usually a day at the track resulted in an embarrassing sunburn. Students at Arden Elementary school in British Columbia weren’t so lucky, with more than one hundred students sent home from the track meet with Norwalk-like virus, reports Comox Valley Echo.

Dr. Jordan Tinney, superintendent of the school said the health department was contacted and the symptoms are consistent with Norwalk. The virus affected no other schools at the track meet.

Dr. Charmine Enns, Comox Valley medical health officer, said,

 "Norwalk or Norovirus is ubiquitous. It’s in all of our communities. It’s easily transmitted because people have very little warning that they’re going to get sick."

Enns stressed that gastro-intestinal illnesses of any type could be thwarted with good hygiene, especially hand washing.

While lab diagnosis had not been sought out, Enns said she was confident the students had been struck with Norwalk.

She explained,

"Typically if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it probably is a duck. And it’s quacking and walking like Norovirus."

Arden Elementary has been thoroughly sanitized and nearly all students have returned to classes.