At least 300 Dartmouth students have recently been infected with a mysterious upper respiratory virus, which manifests itself in the form of an itchy rash.
College Health Service Director Jack Turco said doctors at Dick's House have seen between 200 and 300 students who have the virus, but the number of students who are infected could be even higher because "those with a very mild case of the virus haven't come in."
Turco said the rash typically begins on the neck and around the hairline.
"That seems to be the students' biggest problem -- the itching," Turco said.
He said other relatively mild symptoms -- including a sore throat, dry cough and mild fever -- sometimes accompany the rash.
"Some students only notice the rash and not the other symptoms, while others have the symptoms and then incidentally notice the rash," Turco said. "Especially at night, the itching tends to get worse."
He said the number of students who have been affected indicates the virus spreads very easily.
"In close quarters, people pick it up," Turco said. "Some students may have had it in the past and may be immune to it. The incubation period can last up to week."
Because the virus is diffuse and mild, it is not practical to isolate everyone who has it, he said.
Because the virus appears to be airborne, "students should take the normal precautions of covering their mouths when they cough," he said.
Turco said if a student is coughing a lot, he or she should consider skipping classes to avoid infecting others.
"It is just a mild illness, but it will be next to impossible for those who are susceptible to avoid it," he said. "Everyone will come into contact with it."
Since there are no treatments for viruses, Turco said treatment must instead be for the symptoms, which may last a week to 10 days, depending on the individual.
Turco said over-the-counter antihistamines and Sarna Lotion.
While some students may think their symptoms are simply the common flu, or influenza virus, Turco said they probably are not.
"Influenza doesn't usually come this early," he said.
Doctors at Dick's House have yet to identify the virus, but are in the process of isolating the virus, "more or less to be able to say what it is," he said.
Turco said doctors have taken between six and 10 throat and rectal cultures in an effort to identify the particular strain of the virus.While Turco had not heard of other colleges reporting similar viruses, he said some Upper Valley schools have also had a lot of students absent with the virus.
"It is possible that younger people are more susceptible because they haven't yet developed an immunity to the virus," Turco said. "Older people have had a chance to develop that immunity in the past."
He said he has reported the virus to the state of New Hampshire so they can track the illness.
He alerted Harvard University last weekend when students went there for Harvard weekend.
"Because the virus is so infectious, and a lot of students went down there, it may have spread to Harvard students," Turco said.
Turco said one important aspect was to pass information about the virus on to others to prevent inaccurate rumors.
Kendra Kosko '99 said she has had the virus for approximately two weeks.
"It's like having poison ivy," Kosko said. "It looks like it and that's how it feels."
Kosko said she did not have any symptoms other than the rash, and has been applying cream and taking allergy medicine.
"It is getting better," Kosko said. "It's kind of all dried up."
