Salmonella strikes dozens on
science trip
Source of
Article: http://cs.newhampshire.com/blogs/salem_observer/archive/2009/04/22/Salmonella-strikes-dozens-on-science-trip.aspx Fifty-four seventh-grade
students, including five who went to area hospitals, have fallen ill from
salmonella since returning from an environmental camp. State health officials
began investigating the illness after students began showing up sick at area
hospitals on Sunday, April 19, suffering nausea-like symptoms. Health officials have since
been investigating the Stone Environmental School in Madison, where many of
the seventh-grade students stricken with salmonella spent much of the
previous week, for the cause of the illness. Although salmonella has
been located, health officials have not yet located a source or determined
how the students came in contact with the bacteria. Superintendent Michael
Delahanty said district officials realized there was a problem on the morning
of Monday, April 20 after 51 students and one teacher reported absent for
school, all from Salem’s Woodbury Middle School. The students – 97 in all,
according to school officials – had spent four days last week at the
overnight environental camp. Delahanty said a few of the
children began to feel ill sometime between the evening of April 16 and the
morning of April 17. A total of 11 students went home early from the
environmental school, and by the time the rest of the group arrived back in
Salem Friday afternoon, several more children reported feeling ill as well. On April 20, Delahanty said
the Woodbury School nurse began calling the parents of the children who made
the trip and found that many were suffering from nausea and digestive
problems. At least five had been
taken to the hospital since returning from the trip, he said. State officials have been
tracking the total number of students who have gone to the hospital and said
all are recovering. Two other teachers also on
the trip have not reported any illness, according to Delahanty. Though this year marks the
last time seventh-graders from Woodbury School will participate in the
environmental school due to budgetary, education and liability reasons,
Delahanty said the district has had a long-standing relationship with the
camp. “We’ve never experienced
this type of a problem,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate and nerve wracking.” Students participate in
nature hikes, take classes to identify different plant species and learn
about the night sky during the three- to four-day excursion. Almost every one of the 393
seventh-grade students will participate in the program at some point in the
school year. Delahanty said. A group of students
returned the previous week from the outdoor educational program without a
problem, according to Delahanty. Published
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 2:38 PM by Salem
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