Dozens of Students Sent Home Due to Mysterious Illness

Dozens of students at a North Carolina school were sent home after they exhibited possible signs of a virus, according to the local school superintendent.

At least 84 students at the Person High School in Person County were sent home after exhibiting "virus type symptoms," according to a statement from Person County School Superintendent Danny Holloman.

Additionally, six staff members were also sent home after exhibiting the same symptoms. At the Helena Elementary School and Woodland Elementary School, a total of 20 students were sent home after showing symptoms.

Students and staff were asked to stay home if they have vomiting, fever or diarrhea.

What triggered the illness remained unknown as of this afternoon, but school officials said they were reaching out to the local health department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help.

The CDC requested schools send samples from sick kids to determine the source of the outbreak.

School officials said the affected schools would be cleaned overnight and classes were expected to resume as normal Thursday morning. The Person County Health Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment.