Gastroenteritis Outbreak Closes Hermioni Secondary School

We’re saying Καλά Χριστούγεννα with a 10% discount!

Take advantage of our Xmas offer and get 10% off all courses & lessons – book individual lessons from only 29€ per session or a 12-week group course for just 224€ 249€. Valid until 06.01.2026.

Contact us to claim your discount

The news in Greek

1. γαστρεντερίτιδα  (f.)
   φλεγμονή στο στομάχι και στο έντερο που προκαλεί πόνο στην κοιλιά, διάρροια, εμετό και συχνά πυρετό ↩︎
2. διάρροια  (f.)
   κατάσταση όπου κάποιος πηγαίνει συχνά στην τουαλέτα και τα κόπρανα είναι πολύ υδαρή ↩︎
3. εμετός  (m.)
   η απότομη έξοδος του περιεχομένου του στομαχιού από το στόμα ↩︎
4. πυρετός  (m.)
   όταν η θερμοκρασία του σώματος είναι πιο ψηλή από το φυσιολογικό λόγω ασθένειας ↩︎
5. αρχή  (f.)
   οι επίσημες υπηρεσίες ή πρόσωπα που έχουν εξουσία και ευθύνη σε έναν τομέα ↩︎
6. κρούσμα  (n.)
   περίπτωση εμφάνισης μιας ασθένειας ή προβλήματος σε ένα άτομο ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Why did the authorities decide to clean the school and do checks?

Question 2: When will the school open again?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
γαστρεντερίτιδα  (f.)	gastroenteritis
διάρροια  (f.)	diarrhoea
εμετός  (m.)	vomit
πυρετός  (m.)	fever
αρχή  (f.)	authorities
κρούσμα  (n.)	cases (of a disease)

Read the full story

A secondary school in Hermioni, near Kranidi in the Peloponnese, has been closed as a precaution after at least 30 pupils developed symptoms of gastroenteritis. The closure was decided on Thursday, 11 December 2025, following a sudden increase in cases among students.

According to local authorities, the affected pupils reported diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. In total, the school has around 300 students, and the number of sick children represents about one tenth of the school population. Health officials stated that the overall condition of the pupils is described as good. Any children who were taken to hospital did so mainly for preventive observation, not because of severe complications.

The mayor of Hermioni, Giannis Georgopoulos, speaking to Greek public television, said the incident had created concern among parents, teachers and the local community, but stressed that there was no indication of a serious long‑term health risk. He also commented on rumours linking the outbreak to a recent school trip. According to the mayor, some pupils had already shown symptoms and stayed at home before the excursion took place, so the trip is not currently considered the source of the problem.

Based on the clinical picture and the rapid spread of the illness, health authorities suspect a case of viral gastroenteritis, a common infection that can spread quickly in places where many people are in close contact, such as schools. Officials explained that the type of virus has not yet been confirmed, and that laboratory tests and epidemiological investigation are needed before they can identify the exact cause.

To stop any further spread, the school remained closed on Thursday. Authorities indicated that if new cases are recorded, the school will also stay closed on Friday. This would create a four‑day break, including the weekend, giving time to interrupt the chain of transmission.

During the closure, specialised teams are expected to carry out a thorough disinfection of classrooms, sanitary facilities and common areas. The aim is to reduce the presence of possible infectious agents on surfaces. School management and municipal services are also advising families to pay attention to personal hygiene measures, such as frequent handwashing, staying at home when unwell, and careful cleaning of household areas used by sick children.

The local Health Centre in Kranidi (and, in some reports, the Health Centre of Hermioni) has informed the Hellenic National Public Health Organisation (EODY). EODY is expected to carry out the necessary checks and monitoring, including recording new cases and examining whether the outbreak is linked to a specific source, such as food, water or person‑to‑person transmission. For now, authorities emphasise that it is still an ongoing investigation and that no final conclusion has been reached about how the virus first entered the school.

Local officials and health services say they will continue to observe the situation over the coming days. If the number of cases stabilises or falls, the school is expected to reopen after the preventive closure and disinfection. If more pupils become ill, the measures could be extended. Parents and staff are being kept informed through the school and the municipality, while EODY’s involvement suggests that this outbreak is being treated as a public health incident of local but significant concern.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching Greek through online courses and Greek classes.