166 children fall ill with vomiting bug in major outbreak at same English primary school

Scores of children and teachers were sent home after a vomiting bug hit a primary school in the northern English city of Sheffield.

A total of 166 kids and three members of staff at Intake Primary School were registered as off sick in recent days as parents fear a major outbreak of winter norovirus.

“We have taken advice from environmental health and public health,” a school spokeswoman said. 

“People are saying it’s the norovirus but there is no confirmed diagnosis yet.”

A spokeswoman for Taylor Shaw food services, which caters for the school, told RT: “All we can tell you it’s a vomiting bug, not food poisoning.” 

Earlier last month a school in Gloucestershire was closed suddenly due to an outbreak of a sickness bug, also believed to be norovirus.

The Longney C of E Primary School, in the Severnside village, which closed on a Friday, was deep-cleaned over the weekend and reopened on Monday.

The school has since told reporters there will be a “deep clean” of its premises. The cause of the vomiting bug is as yet unconfirmed.