Over 100 students sent home sick

TOPEKA, KS (KTRK) -- More students were sent home from Manhattan senior high for a mystery illness with stomach flu-like symptoms. The total is around 100.

"And as of this morning, we've sent home 12 students, one teaching faculty member, and one para-educator," said Greg Hoyt, Manhattan High School principal.

Even though the numbers of the students being sent home are alarming, Manhattan high school administrators are taking every precaution to ensure the illness doesn't spread.

"In circumstances where we might feed them a saltine cracker and try and keep them in school, we're immediately sending them home," said Hoyt.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture visited the school to check on the kitchen and found no issues.

"As a matter of fact they believe, if this is a virus, it was introduced from outside the building and is now inside the building," said Hoyt.

As a precaution, the KDA advised the school to use bleach solution to wipe down everything from water fountains to restrooms.

"The cleaning information that was provided to us addressed norovirus, but we don't know that it's norovirus. We just know that if it is, we want to get a head start. So that's why the bleach solution was recommended and that's what we're using until further notice," said Hoyt.

Parents of ill students are encouraged to send the Riley County Health Department stool samples so they can confirm the cause of the mystery illness.