Stomach illness hits 100 students at Ursinus
Twenty-two Ursinus College students have required hospital treatment and scores more have been sickened by an unidentified stomach infection that has sent school officials scrambling to close dining halls and investigate the cause.
Twenty-two Ursinus College students have required hospital treatment and scores more have been sickened by an unidentified stomach infection that has sent school officials scrambling to close dining halls and investigate the cause.
"Ursinus is actively investigating the potential cause of this illness to determine whether it is food-borne or transmitted by person-to-person contact," the college said in a statement Wednesday.
The Collegeville school is working with the Montgomery County Health Department to investigate the cause of the illness. Officials said 100 students were sickened as of Wednesday afternoon. Of Ursinus' 1,650 students, 97 percent live on campus and eat dining hall food.
County officials said they had asked doctors to conduct testing on the students they are treating. Test results could take one week.
Late Wednesday, the school issued a statement indicating that classes will be held Thursday.
Those with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain should stay hydrated and seek medical treatment, said Montgomery County Commissioner Valerie A. Arkoosh, who is a doctor and interim medical director of the county's health department.
The school said Wednesday afternoon that it would close its dining halls until further notice and clean them "as a precaution."
The college made arrangements with local restaurants to feed students. The fitness center also closed, and a men's basketball game was postponed Wednesday. Officials said residential and common areas also would be cleaned.
A number of students became sick Tuesday night, and about 40 were ill by Wednesday morning, the school said.
School officials said that they were working with doctors at Einstein Medical Center, and that symptoms appear to subside after 12 to 18 hours.
Officials said it is unknown whether the illness is food-borne or transmitted by person-to-person contact.
"We're without answers in a lot of ways," said Carly Gartenberg, a junior from New York.
Gartenberg said Wednesday evening that she was healthy, but knew a number of students who were sick. She said she saw no pattern in the spread of the illness - students who ate a variety of foods at both dining locations became ill.
She said she had avoided on-campus food since Tuesday night, when students began vomiting.
"I've eaten snacks, and I might go out to eat for dinner or might just make mac and cheese or something," Gartenberg said. "It's scary, though."
County health-inspection reports of the college's food facilities have shown some, mostly minor, food-safety violations. At the most recent inspections in November, violations included towels missing from handwashing sinks. The reports indicate the problems were corrected with inspectors on site.
Arkoosh said gastrointestinal illnesses, such as Norovirus, are common this time of year.
Commonly known as the stomach bug, Norovirus is highly contagious. It is spread by person-to-person contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is also the leading cause of outbreaks from contaminated food, the CDC said, often spread when a contaminated food worker touches ready-to-eat foods before serving them.
"The best way to prevent the spread of GI illness is to practice good hand-hygiene and to thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces in common areas," Arkoosh said.
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Staff writer Don Sapatkin contributed to this article.