UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 2, Page 2
September 9, 1993
Mystery illness hits students

     For approximately 170 students, most of them freshmen, the 1993-94
academic year got off to a dramatic, if not particularly pleasant, start.
     A mystery illness, characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and
sometimes a low-grade fever, sent 172 students to the Student Health
Service from Tuesday, Aug. 31, through 8 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 7, according
to Dr. Joseph Siebold, director of the service. He noted that additional
students may have treated themselves and not come to the health service.
The symptoms usually pass in 24 hours.
     "The number of cases has waned significantly," Siebold said on
Tuesday. "The number of students coming in to Laurel Hall over the last few
days has been at or below the normal level for students coming in with such
symptoms. At this point, I think the situation has abated."
     Because of the number of students affected last week, Siebold
contacted the Delaware Department of Public Health on Sept. 2, which sent a
team to campus the same day to investigate the illness.
     Leroy Hathcock, state epidemiologist and team leader, said the
investigation is covering all possibilities, including that it might be a
virus, a toxin, food poisoning and tainted water supply. The team retrieved
samples for analysis and interviewed students-both those who had gotten
sick and those who had not.
     On Tuesday, tests were still being run, and Siebold said it might be
several days or another week before there are any results.