FAIRBURN, Ga. — Students at a south metro Atlanta school have to stay home, Friday, after several there got sick.
Landmark Christian School in Fairburn is closed until Monday after the Fulton County Health Department got an alert from the Georgia Poison Center March 6 about several sick students.
According to the heath agency, students at the private school were showing signs of illness, including vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. After the health department became aware, they said the followed standard protocols - including opening a disease investigation by epidemiologists. They also conducted a health assessment at the school.
How the students got sick - and what from - is still unclear. Also unknown is how many were affected. In the meantime, the school's website said all after school activities and sports events have either been canceled or postponed.
The health department said they are interviewing sick students to try and narrow down a possible source of exposure.
Additional information is being collected by our epidemiologists through patient interviews to determine the common exposure/source of the illness The Health Department said they will follow up with Landmark when the school reopens Monday, and will recommend possible action based on their findings.
Until that time, the Fulton County Board of Health recommended all at the school follow the proper hand hygiene protocol and seek a healthcare provider if illness is severe.
This is not the first time several students have fallen ill at a school in Fulton County in the past month. Several students at Sandtown Middle School were hospitalized after eating several treats being passed around on Valentine's Day.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tested some of the sweets brought in - including rice crispy treats and lollipops. One of those items tested positive for traces of THC, the chemical found in marijuana. Five students are facing punishment for their involvement.
SANDTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SICK
- GBI: This drug was found in food from Sandtown Middle School after students hospitalized
- Sandtown Middle School reports suggest wildly different symptoms - possibly tied to 2 candies
- GBI testing candy after Sandtown students showed signs of 'drug intoxication'
- 28 Sandtown Middle School students hospitalized: What we know