11 more Rider students treated in virus outbreak

Eleven more Rider University students were treated at Trenton-area hospitals overnight Thursday, bringing the total of those who have fallen ill to 55, officials at the New Jersey school said Friday morning. Spokesman Brian Higgins said almost all the students who were taken to three local hospitals from Wednesday into Thursday were treated and released within hours. Only one required a full night's stay.

School officials believe the norovirus - the same virus blamed for recent mass outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships - is responsible. An outbreak began a week ago and is continuing at Princeton University, about six miles away.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramping, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus also may cause fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue.

Norovirus is not usually serious, and most students should recover within a day or two. It is spread through touching surfaces contaminated with the norovirus, then ingesting foods or liquids. - Staff reports