Cabot Experiences Weekend Outbreak of Stomach Illness

A rash of what University Health Service (UHS) officials diagnosed

as viral gastroenteritis cases struck residents of Cabot House on Sunday

night, causing approximately 15 students to report for treatment.

The students complained of nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diahrrea. Thirteen students have been admitted to Stillman Infirmary. Nine

of those students needed police escort, said Peggy A. McNamara, spokesperson for the Harvard University Police Department.

"At one point, all the beds were full," said Dr. David S. Rosenthal '59, director of UHS.

"The numbers might continue to grow," Rosenthal said. "You also have to remember not everyone came in. Some probably stayed home and waited it out."

University officials said the students' symptoms were not

caused by food poisoning, but are taking steps to ensure that the outbreak

remains contained.

UHS, Environmental Health and Safety officials and Harvard

University Dining Services (HUDS) are conducting an investigation to

determine the source of the illness.

Students reporting to UHS were asked to take a 72-hour food

survey, which involved recording all food consumed since breakfast last Friday. University officials are looking for patterns in the House, such

as a common entryway.

Police reports show there is no indication to point to food

poisoning of a specific source.

"Some students ate in the dining hall and some didn't," McNamara said.

Rosenthal dismissed the possibility of bacterial gastroenteritis or staph poisoning.

"Usually one gets sick two to three hours after eating [with bacterial infections]. That does not seem to be the case," he said. "If it is not bacterial, then it is probably oral."

Rosenthal said the dining hall had saved samples of food to test

for bacterial contamination, though testing for viral contamination might

as be impossible, given the difficulty of growing the virus to do the

studies.

Though no one in Pforzheimer House became ill, the kitchen that

that House shares with Cabot is undergoing an extensive sanitation.

Cabot House Master James H. Ware, a professor at the school of

public health, said that no food would be served out of the kitchen unless

officials felt the kitchen was absolutely safe.

Ware did not rule out the possibility that the kitchen could be

contaminated.

"It certainly seems fairly likely, since so many students were infected," he said. "We are investigating House-wide, and I am confident that they can correct the problem quickly."

Environmental Health and Safety officials spent the afternoon in

the dining hall and kitchen working to identify possible sources of the

problem.

"They are very knowledgeable about methods for correcting sanitation and food quality problems," Ware said.

"So far, we haven't been able to find any common food," Rosenthal

said. "We are not able to find anything related to dining hall food."

Cabot resident Angela L. Peluse '01 said police were aggressive in their search to warn students.

"At 6 this morning two cops came to my door and told us that 25

people in parts of Cabot House were sick and throwing up," Peluse wrote in

an e-mail warning the swim team.

"It was weird. I thought there was a fire or something. I mean, who

bangs on your door at 6 a.m.?" she wrote in an e-mail to The Crimson.

McNamara said she could not confirm that officers had visited dorms,

But, "It is possible that police were following up some safety concerns to

make sure people were okay," she said.

Ware, who was at a meeting out of state, remains deeply concerned about House residents.

"This is very distressing to the students that were ill," he said. "This needs a very aggressive response."

Ware said he will take urgent measures and intends to work with Dean of the College Harry

R. Lewis '68 and HUDS to ensure that students remain healthy.

--Staff writer Nicole B. Usher can be reached at usher@fas.harvard.edu.