Health officials have been called in to investigate the sudden severe illness of a number of students in W.E.B. DuBois College House.
Students have experienced severe gastrointestinal symptoms, similar to those found with E. Coli, and some have sought attention at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Over the past week, Student Health Services has consulted with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Infection Control at HUP to determine the cause and extent of the illness.
DuBois House Dean Patricia Williams declined to comment on the outbreak last night.
In a letter sent to residents of DuBois College House last night, Student Health Service Director Evelyn Wiener advised students with intestinal symptoms to seek immediate medical attention, and suggested that the infection may have been spread through tainted food.
"Typically, this type of investigation entails a review of the University Dining Service," Wiener said in the letter.
"In addition, there are reports that some of the affected students attended cookouts last weekend, including those hosted by Zeta Phi Beta and by the Black Student League and UMOJA," the letter continued.
Andrea Houston, a former Penn student who attended the barbeque hosted by the BSL, UMOJA and Makuu, said she began experiencing symptoms like nausea last Sunday.
Houston said she contacted Alice Yang from the Division of Disease Control in the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, one of the people conducting the investigation into the illnesses.
Disease Control officials could not be reached for comment last night.
Students were advised not to treat their symptoms with antibiotics or over-the-counter medicines for stomach discomfort.
E. Coli, a bacteria that produces toxins in the intestines that trigger symptoms like bloody diarrhea and severe nausea, is generally spread through undercooked ground beef.
Symptoms usually subside in several days among healthy adults.
