A Texas high school has caught a mystery virus being referred to as "the plague," UK MailOnline reported.
The virus has managed to infect over 700 students and staff members. It has also caused them to become violently ill.
The health department is trying to find the source of the stomach illness that first hit Richardson High School in North Texas last week, according to NBC.
To prevent the bug from spreading, cleaners have been brought in to scrub every possible surface on the premises.
"It is scary, it really is," father Demetrius Price, whose son was sent home sick, told NBC 5. "For that many kids to get sick at one time is scary."
Though school officials haven't uncovered the cause of the virus yet, they have ruled out the cafeteria as a source and don't believe it to be food related, UK MailOnline reported.
"It all started Monday of last week, with 203 students and 12 staff members off sick," UK MailOnline reported. "By Thursday, 349 students were absent, along with 22 staff members. Additionally, 70 more students were sent home at lunch."
By Friday, an astonishing 675 students - about a quarter of the school's total student population of 2,500 - missed class, along with 28 staff members, according to UK MailOnline.
The situation was only slightly better on Monday despite having the weekend as a buffer and the extreme cleaning measures taking place at the school.
The Richardson Independent School District was able to confirm that 26 staff members and 239 students were sick Monday, UK MailOnline reported.
The illness caused 191 students to call in sick and another 48 to be sent home early, according to the district.
The main symptoms of the bug are vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and weakness. Health experts have said the easiest way to stop the spread is general hygiene, specifically diligent hand washing.
The nurse's office was "over run" with hundreds of sick kids when Price went to pick up his freshmen son, he said.
"My son had a cold a few weeks ago, during that cold snap, but nothing serious," Price told NBC 5. "This right here was so different. It put him on the couch. His energy was low. His appetite was gone."
He continued, "He kept feeling like he had to throw up. I don't know what it is. I was worried he was going to get real dehydrated."
Students started up a Twitter hashtag about the mysterious virus, called "#RHSPlague" and are trying to make light of the situation with jokes like "More Plague = Better Parking," UK MailOnline reported.
