The Leverett House dining hall is just one of the Houses adhering to the new instructions.

Leverett House Unit Manager Maureen E. Johannessen said, “We are changing utensils every half hour; I think that will cut down on cross-contamination issues.”

Preventing the viral illness may be particularly desirable given the lack of specific treatment options and the unpleasant symptoms associated with it, Campbell said.

For most people stricken with the virus, treatment is limited to drinking fluids such as ginger ale, although Campbell said intravenous fluids are administered if a patient becomes acutely dehydrated.

Michelle Kuo ’03 said she was beleaguered by the gastrointestinal illness earlier this week.

“My symptoms began on Sunday night,” Kuo said. “I couldn’t fall asleep because my stomach hurt a lot. I also had a huge headache.”

Kuo said her symptoms included nausea, vomiting and fatigue—classic symptoms of the viral illness.

“ I felt really heavy and not motivated to do any work. I slept all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” Kuo said.

Norwalk—named for the Ohio city in which it was first identified more than three decades ago—rarely causes death or serious illness despite its unpleasant symptoms.

— Staff writer Jaquelyn M. Scharnick can be reached at scharnic@fas.harvard.edu.