Thursday, October 18, 2001

College Briefs

11 Wisconsin students infected with E. coli

MADISON, Wis. (U-WIRE) — University of Wisconsin-Madison officials confirmed Tuesday at least 11 cases of E. coli bacterial infection among UW students.

All the victims reported attending a pancake tailgate party at the UW Stock Pavilion before the Wisconsin vs. Indiana football game on Oct. 6; however, the source of infection has yet to be pinpointed.

Three of the victims initially were hospitalized, but two have since been released. A 3-year-old Dane County, Wis., resident also was diagnosed with the infection.

Tailgate party attendees ate pancakes, sausage, milk and juice. However, Roberts said these are low-risk foods and were probably not the cause of the infections.

“We’re thinking it’s not the food, but some sort of environmental contamination,” University Health Services epidemiologist Craig Roberts said.

Roberts said victims might have been infected through contact with bacteria from animals sometimes kept in the pavilion. Livestock classes use the facility for animal studies Wednesdays and Thursdays. The class was held Oct. 4, two days prior to the tailgate.

UHS received the first reports Oct. 11 from students experiencing abdominal cramps, severe or bloody diarrhea and fever. All reported symptoms began between Oct. 8 and 11. Lab tests Tuesday confirmed the presence of E. coli.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include bloody diarrhea, painful abdominal cramps, fatigue, nausea and sometimes chills and fever. Young children, the elderly, and adults with health problems are at risk for potentially dangerous complications.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, E. coli can be acquired through ingesting contaminated food or water and through contact with fecal material from infected persons or animals. Undercooked beef and milk that has not been pasteurized are often linked with the E. coli bacteria.

— Badger Herald