Spring Break
Wave of food illness hits East
By: Lisa Du
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: News
Last update: 8/25/08 at 6:42 AM EST
Last update: 8/25/08 at 6:42 AM EST
At least 13 individuals may have contracted food poisoning from eating at orientation week events and the Marketplace, administrators and students said.
Approximately five residents of Giles Dormitory reported feeling ill and one student was hospitalized. Two residents of Southgate Dormitory also were taken to the emergency room at Duke University Medical Center to be treated Saturday night.
Six more individuals-including both students and parents-also reported getting sick, Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst said. He added that he did not find the number of sick students to be a noteworthy aberration.
Giles Resident Assistant Zach Chapla, a sophomore, said his residents have complained to him about feeling ill during orientation week.
"Over the past three days, I've had at least four to five people get sick, not from alcohol," he said. "All of them have either eaten at the Marketplace, or I know one or two got sick from the Convocation lunch outside the Chapel."
Wulforst said the cases he heard all complained of getting sick Wednesday night, after they had eaten the chicken wrap with mayonnaise at the Convocation luncheon earlier that day.
"Anything that was associated with the picnic we did a check-up on," Wulforst said. "The food was stored in a refrigerated truck up until 45 minutes before the picnic. At most, the temperature of the sandwiches might have gone up a couple of degrees. Nothing that relates to the picnic has been identified as an issue."
He added, however, that Alpine Bagels-which catered the Convocation luncheon-does not put condiments like mayonnaise in their food. Out of the 25,000 meals served at orientation events, only six cases of illness have been reported to him, Wulforst said.
Freshman Benny Maimon, the Giles resident who was hospitalized, said he did not eat the chicken at the Convocation luncheon. Rather, he said he thought he got sick from eating eggs at the Marketplace Wednesday morning.
Approximately five residents of Giles Dormitory reported feeling ill and one student was hospitalized. Two residents of Southgate Dormitory also were taken to the emergency room at Duke University Medical Center to be treated Saturday night.
Six more individuals-including both students and parents-also reported getting sick, Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst said. He added that he did not find the number of sick students to be a noteworthy aberration.
Giles Resident Assistant Zach Chapla, a sophomore, said his residents have complained to him about feeling ill during orientation week.
"Over the past three days, I've had at least four to five people get sick, not from alcohol," he said. "All of them have either eaten at the Marketplace, or I know one or two got sick from the Convocation lunch outside the Chapel."
Wulforst said the cases he heard all complained of getting sick Wednesday night, after they had eaten the chicken wrap with mayonnaise at the Convocation luncheon earlier that day.
"Anything that was associated with the picnic we did a check-up on," Wulforst said. "The food was stored in a refrigerated truck up until 45 minutes before the picnic. At most, the temperature of the sandwiches might have gone up a couple of degrees. Nothing that relates to the picnic has been identified as an issue."
He added, however, that Alpine Bagels-which catered the Convocation luncheon-does not put condiments like mayonnaise in their food. Out of the 25,000 meals served at orientation events, only six cases of illness have been reported to him, Wulforst said.
Freshman Benny Maimon, the Giles resident who was hospitalized, said he did not eat the chicken at the Convocation luncheon. Rather, he said he thought he got sick from eating eggs at the Marketplace Wednesday morning.
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