JEFFERSON TWP — South Butler Primary School students are feeling better this week after a suspected norovirus outbreak last week.

“I think we’re on the mend here,” Superintendent David Zupsic said Wednesday, noting that attendance at the school on Tuesday and Wednesday this week was about 91 percent, just slightly below normal numbers.

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis, which is often called the “stomach flu,” according to the state Department of Health.

Zupsic said school nurse Stephanie Haverstick called the Department of Health for guidance last week when 62 students got sick.

She was told that noroviruses are highly contagious, but symptoms typically only last for a couple days.

Students were sent home with a letter warning parents about a possible outbreak and asking them to keep children home this week if they were still experiencing symptoms.

“That is our standard request if students are displaying illness,” Zupsic said. “If parents can keep them home, it would benefit us greatly.”

Since Friday was a teacher in-service day and Monday was a scheduled vacation day, district custodians were able to thoroughly clean and disinfect the school without affecting classes. They even used machines that the district rented to put out a mist containing disinfectants.

Students in kindergarten through third grade attend the primary school on Knoch Road.

The district’s other buildings were not affected.