Officials for the Health Department's Division of Disease Control confirmed yesterday that 13 University students have been diagnosed with the E. Coli bacteria.
Disease Control officials linked the outbreak to food prepared by a private caterer for a barbeque outside W.E.B. DuBois College House on Sept. 9. An official also said that the bacteria was not related to Campus Dining Services.
Evelyn Wiener, director of Student Health Services, said that she was first notified of students' having symptoms of the bacteria last Saturday and that she sent an e-mail to DuBois residents notifying them of the outbreak the next day.
In the letter, she said the outbreak had been traced to a cookout hosted by Zeta Phi Beta, the Black Student League and UMOJA.
She also advised students with intestinal symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.
Rebecca Harmon, spokeswoman for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said several infected students have visited area hospitals so far.
"According to our lab results, we have four culture-confirmed cases, with one person being admitted to HUP, one admitted to Presbyterian and 2 were outpatients," Harmon said. "A fifth case was admitted to HUP, but it's a presumed case only."
"Student Health has managed some other cases on an outpatient basis," she added, "but I can't confirm that number. To our knowledge no one has evidenced any serious complications."
Wiener said that all four cases admitted have since been discharged.
The Department of Public Health and the Department of Infection Control at HUP have been consulting Student Health Services over the past week as to the cause and extent of the outbreak.
DuBois House Dean Patricia Williams could not be reached for comment last night.
Additionally, students were advised by Disease Control officials not to treat their symptoms with antibiotics or over-the-counter medicines for stomach discomfort.
Wiener also said that though no new cases were likely to surface from the initial barbeque, students with any leftovers from the event should dispose of them. Also, she warned that students use good hygiene as E. Coli can be spread through secondary contact.
E. Coli, a bacteria that produces toxins in the intestines that trigger symptoms like bloody diarrhea and severe nausea, is generally spread through under-cooked ground beef.
Symptoms usually subside in several days among healthy adults.
