NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (Reuters) - A stomach ailment felled more than 140 students at Merrimack College causing  school officials to close the college on Wednesday.

 The outbreak of what doctors at local hospitals called a gastrointestinal virus with flu-like symptoms began Tuesday evening  as first a dozen students, then scores more at the small college in this town north of Boston reported stomach pains, vomiting  and diarrhea.

 Many of the students were hospitalized briefly, given fluids and told to return to their dorm  rooms and rest, a spokeswoman for the school told local television news.

 Merrimack officials canceled classes and closed the college on Wednesday as health officials tried to discover what caused the outbreak.

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