130 students sick with stomach virus at University of Southern California

by Yuliya Talmazan | October 6, 2008 at 10:16 am

227 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

The mass hospitalization of students at University of Southern California has been blamed on salmonella poisoning at first due to typical salmonella infection symptoms in affected students. Now, there are speculations it was a gastrointestinal virus that has caused 130 students to become sick.

Many students have been taken to area hospitals because their virus has resulted in severe symptoms, and those with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea are asked to visit the USC University Park Student Health Center.

Students are being urged to stay at home if they can, in order to limit the potential that the stomach virus has of spreading.

James Grant, executive director for USC Media Relations, said USC students began arriving at on- and off-campus clinics Friday after suffering from vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

But Grant said the virus is not a food-borne illness but is, in fact, a human-contracted virus.

"The cafeteria was briefly closed Saturday," Grant said. "However, it should have never been closed. My colleagues have confirmed that there was no food contamination at [EVK]."

David McAlpine, a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism who lives in Birnkrant, said he contracted the virus from another student on his floor.

"Once someone on the floor got it, everyone got it," McAlpine said.

Another student, Evan Zuckerman, a freshman majoring in business administration who also lives in Birnkrant, said he visited the health center and was given a checkup. Zuckerman was told to drink a lot of fluids and to rest.

"I have absolutely no idea how it happened ... I threw up six times Friday night and had a fever of 101," he said. "I didn't start feeling better until [Sunday]."