Beware the pom-pom: cheerleaders stricken with norovirus at Michigan camp

Portions of Davenport University’s student center, gymnasium, and a dormitory are closed for extensive cleaning after teenagers on campus for a cheerleading camp were affected by an outbreak of norovirus.

About 35-40 high school girls were affected by the outbreak, which began late Tuesday or early Wednesday. They suffered diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps, according to Kent County Health Department spokeswoman Lisa LaPlante, though none of the victims required medical treatment or hospitalization.

The girls were attending a cheerleading camp that began Tuesday, LaPlante says.
Davenport officials believe the virus was spread through hand-to-hand contact — likely when the girls were passing pom-poms. The health department has ruled out the likelihood of foodborne transmission.

This entry was posted in Norovirus and tagged , , by Douglas Powell. Bookmark the permalink.

About Douglas Powell

A former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog.com, Powell is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s CV here. Dr. Douglas Powell editor, barfblog.com retired professor, food safety 3/289 Annerley Rd Annerley, Queensland 4103 dpowell29@gmail.com 61478222221 I am based in Brisbane, Australia, 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time