Severe Water Pollution Outbreak at Shenyang Normal University in China: 2,087 People Vomiting and Suffering Diarrhea

On August 31st, a water pollution incident broke out at Shenyang Normal University in China, with numerous students exhibiting symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. According to an announcement by Shenyang authorities on the evening of the 7th, as of 5pm that day, a total of 2,087 people had developed gastroenteritis symptoms, and new cases are still being reported.
After assessment, the incident was determined to be caused by the university's water reservoir being contaminated with norovirus, making it a sudden public health event. Of the 2,087 cases, 1,817 people have recovered, while 270 still have symptoms, though all are mild.
According to CCTV News, based on information from the Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the university hospital at Shenyang Normal began admitting a series of students with vomiting and diarrhea on August 31st. Relevant departments from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, as well as the university, quickly opened a medical “green channel,” formed medical teams to station at the university for regular rounds, and carried out classified treatment for patients.

The report stated that after comprehensive assessment, the peak phase of this water pollution incident has already passed, and the daily number of new cases has shown a clear downward trend. However, from 5pm on the 6th to 5pm on the 7th, 25 new cases were still reported.
Previous reports indicated that, due to the water contamination, some students at Shenyang Normal University had to be hospitalized for up to three days, with persistent high fevers reaching 38.9°C, accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, and dizziness. It was noted that such situations were not isolated, with many other teachers and students at the university experiencing similar symptoms.
A postgraduate student who once studied at Shenyang Normal University disclosed that every semester before classes started, when she returned to the dorm and turned on the tap, there would always be black particles or the water would turn yellow. There would always be ‘black debris’ in the wash basin; if the tap was left running to rinse a towel, ‘it would turn black in just two minutes.’ Some students went as far as to say that sometimes the water coming out of the tap was as black as oil, looking just like crude oil, and ‘almost like it came from an oil well.’