GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Stomach bugs that sicken large numbers of children and adults all at once are a regular feature of school life, but help may be on the way.
The Greenville News reports that Clemson University researcher Angela Fraser has won a $543,000 federal grant to help figure out why such ailments spread so quickly in schools.
Fraser is looking at the spread of norovirus, a bug that causes diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. It's responsible for nearly 20 million illnesses a year in the U.S., including 70,000 hospitalizations.
Fraser will study 10 elementary schools in South Carolina to try and determine what conditions make it easier for the virus to spread.
Once researchers learn that, they'll develop a set of recommendations in hygiene in hopes of reducing outbreaks.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
