More Than 20 Students Report Stomach and Digestive Illness

At least 21 students suffered stomach and digestive disorders yesterday, but University health officials have been unable to determine the cause of the illnesses.

The students, from several different Houses, experienced nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea, said Jessie A. Morton, sanitary inspector in the Environmental Health Services, who is in charge of determining the cause of the outbreak.

"It doesn't appear to be food-related," she said, adding, "It appears to be coincidental that they all came in at the same time."

"My feeling is that it is viral," she added, explaining that the incident is not confined to any one House and that there is no "common food source."

Monday night's dinner included Chinese pu pu platter, basked fish almondine, fried rice, garden peas, and stir-fried vegetables, but students who were ill reported eating various combinations of food.

December Incident

Last December more than 40 Winthrop House students experienced similar symptoms, which University Health Services (UHS) officials later decided was a virus.

"Ever since the December incident we've continued to have a trickle of gastro-intestinal incidents," said Dr. Sholem Postel, deputy director of UHS.

As a result of the December sicknesses, city health officials inspected College dinning halls and discovered six sanitary violations, including flaking ceilings and leaking water in the central kitchen tunnels. The University has agreed to renovate the tunnels this year.

"We are confident that our facilities are in good order," said Assistant Director of Food Services Benjamin H. Walcoft.

"There are no conclusions that the cause of this outbreak would point in our direction," he added.

But Mortoa's office investigated some of the dining halls yesterday and is culturing bacteria from the schools of the victims. The results of the tests will not be available for at least 48 hours.

"If it's act a virus, we'll be swarmed with food inspectors," said Brian J. McDonald, assistant manager of the Adams House dining hall, where at least five illnesses were reported.

Theodore G. Osius III'84, who had the pu pu platter at Adams House, said that the illness came at a poor time "because I am at a crucial point in my thesis, and it's hard enough during the first week of classes."