Georgetown, USC, now Vermont; students are barfing everywhere; no answer from Organic To Go
Susan Schoenfeld, the Vermont Health Department’s deputy epidemiologist, said state and UVM health officials were looking into the possibility that some of the students sickened by the virus got sick shortly after eating a meal at the University Marche, a dining center inside the school’s Living & Learning Center.
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“Several of the students who had just eaten a meal at the dining hall became ill,” she said. “We’ve told the university we can’t rule out the possibility that food was related to the outbreak, in addition to person-to-person transmission.”
To date, about 60 students have reported becoming sick with gastroenteritis symptoms over the past few days, but the outbreak now appears to be in decline. Only four new cases of the illness were reported Thursday, according to a UVM memo to the campus community.
The memo also discussed the possible connection of the dining hall to the outbreak and said there was no way to confirm if food in the eatery caused anyone to become sick. The memo said it was possible someone who was sick possibly contaminated otherwise high-quality food.”
High quality? OK, so I’m sure the providers of food to UVM students are concerned about the things that make people barf, and wouldn’t be taken in by some trendy, local, natural thing, at least without asking basic questions about microbial food safety such as irrigation water quality, soil amendments and employee handwashing.
But I asked the same questions of Organic To Go and have heard nothing.
Is there a link between norovirus at Georgetown and USC?
As the number of norovirus illnesses reached 330 at the University of Southern California and 212 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the Georgetown Voice reports both schools serve meals prepared by the Organic-to-Go food distributor, although Georgetown officials do not believe there is a connection. (Note: a PR person from Organic-to-Go says USC stopped serving what she calls grab-and-go food from Organic-to-Go in Aug. 2008 -- dp)
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Georgetown officials were also cited as saying today that:
* Georgetown cleaning crews and temporary contract crews have been working through the weekend to keep public areas clean. Thousands of wipes and sixty hand sanitizer stations have been placed around campus.
* DC Department of Public Health is conducting an epidemiological study to determine the cause of the outbreak. The results of the study should be released in the next few days. Food samples from Leo’s have been tested. The cause of the outbreak is still unknown, but the study should provide some insight.
* The University does not know when Leo’s employees will stop serving all food to students, but there are no plans to continue this practice indefinitely.
At USC, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed norovirus was the source of the USC outbreak. Officials said restrooms and common areas of residence halls have been thoroughly cleaned in response to the outbreak and USC officials have provided sanitation measures to university-owned housing and fraternity and sorority row.
Here’s an old infosheet on norovirus, in Spanish.
Norovirus not just for Georgetown
Norovirus continues to work its porcelain magic.
After striking 175 Georgetown students – there was vomiting in the emergency waiting rooms and residence hallways, but at least they got Powerade – something that sure sounded like norovirus sickened 75 University of Southern California students.
The campus community was alerted early Saturday with a blast of e-mail and cell phone text messages and officials stressed that ill students should not attend Saturday evening's football game between the USC Trojans and Oregon.
Several students and staff at a private school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, got sick during lunch on Friday and the health department suspects watermelon in a fruit salad based on what the individuals ate. The health department took samples, and will test them for foodborne illnesses.
And the Washoe District Health Department in Nevada is reminding people to use "effective handwashing procedures" following a rise of gastrointestinal illnesses.
Here's another norovirus infosheet from the past.
