Suspected vomiting virus sickens 4,000 German kids

(AP)—German health authorities say at least 4,000 children have fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhea after eating food from school canteens and daycare centers.

The Robert Koch-Institut says it was alerted to a sudden surge in gastroenteritis cases that began late Tuesday in Berlin and surrounding regions.

The institute said in a statement late Thursday that laboratory investigations are under way to determine the exact cause of the outbreak.

But it says all facilities where the illness occurred likely received food from a single supplier, indicating it was a food-borne illness such as norovirus.

The norovirus is a common cause of food poisoning.