Salmonella Ravages Winthrop

University Health Service (UHS) laboratories yesterday confirmed that at least five more students contracted salmonella poisoning in Winthrop House dining hall last week, Dr. Warren E.C. Wacker, director of UHS, said yesterday.

The newly confirmed cases bring the total number of proven salmonella poisonings at Winthrop House during last week to seven or eight, Wacker said. He added that students suffered salmonella poisonings last month at the Freshman Union.

"There is no indication that they (poisonings at Winthrop and the Union) are related. When we find out the salmonella subtype from the state laboratory we will be able to tell if they are related," Wacker said.

The report from the state laboratory will not arrive for two weeks, he added. "It's possible that the number of cases from Winthrop House is much higher. We can only speak positively of those patients who have had positive tests," Wacker said.

"I went from table to table on Monday asking people if they had salmonella poisoning. I counted 22 people in 15 minutes." Paula Gardner '79, a resident of Winthrop House who contracted the disease, said yesterday.

You?

"UHS is pulling the wool over somebody's eyes," Gardner said, "There have to be 50 cases in Winthrop House."

Another salmonella poisoning victim, James Koddle, a Choate Fellow, was treated in Stillman Infirmary for four days. He estimated that the number of salmonella victims was as high as 100.

"They (UHS) are looking for a carrier of salmonella at Winthrop," Koddle said after he had been interviewed by a UHS health inspector.

Typhoid Mary

"At the Union they isolated it to a man who had been on vacation in Mexico, who was carrying the disease but didn't feel sick. I guess they're looking for the same thing here," he added.

Salmonella poisoning is transmitted when a carrier infected with the disease touches food eaten by other people. UHS is currently testing Winthrop House dining room employees for salmonella poisoning, Wacker said.

"The disease seems to be localized to last week at Winthrop House. We have had no new suspects this week," Wacker added.

The symptoms of salmonella poisoning include chills, fever, and headaches, followed by diarrhea. Anyone suffering those symptoms should report them to UHS, Wacker said