This report confirms a fundamental rule for good health. Wash your hands once in a while.

Paul Kampe of the Oakland Press reports.

Norovirus outbreak reported at Oakland University

A Norovirus outbreak is affecting more than a dozen students on the campus of Oakland University.

Thirteen students at the Rochester-area campus of more than 20,000 have been diagnosed with the highly-contagious virus, while others with similar symptoms are encouraged to take a survey on the school’s website, oakland.edu/GHC.

Graham Health Center director Nancy Jansen said the first case was diagnosed Monday, March 9, but the majority of cases were reported Thursday, March 12.

Jansen said the virus is common in the winter and there has been an increase in cases in Oakland County in recent weeks. The virus is reported on the campus “every winter,” she noted.

“You only need a small amount of the virus to become infected,” she said. “It’s not a rare infection.”

Each of the students diagnosed with the virus resides in one of the school’s residence halls, Jansen said.

The highly-contagious virus is typically caused by hand-to-hand contact after interaction with infected surfaces containing feces or vomit, Jansen said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports infected food workers cause about 70 percent of reported norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food. Students are being encouraged to wash their hands frequently, and the school’s custodial staff has been alerted to the outbreak in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Hand sanitizers aren’t very effective … handwashing is the best thing,” director of environmental health and safety Cora Hanson said. “We’re trying to spread the message.”