Possible foodborne illness at ethics conference

A number of Indiana State University students and employees reported having flu-like symptoms after consuming food they ate at the April 4 Ethics and Social Responsibility Conference at ISU, but ISU food service providers are denying that contaminated food is to blame.

Conference attendees were served box lunches of cold cut sandwiches, a fruit cup, a pickle and a bag of potato chips.

The Indiana Statesman contacted one of the event's Scott College of Business student organizers who was instructed not to speak on the record about reports of illness linked to the conference.

But College of Business Associate Dean Bruce McLaren said he received reports on April 5 of attendees having become ill following the conference. McLaren said he knew of multiple students and faculty who became ill. After receiving those reports, he notified Sodexo, he said.

According to a statement issued April 12 by Sodexo public relations director Monica Zimmer, "Sodexo was notified about alleged food borne illness at Indiana State University.  We have reviewed our procedures and are confident they are in line with our stringent food safety standards."

"The health department completed three inspections in the Hulman Memorial Student Union this week and found no violations. In addition, Sodexo received a food safety score of 99% during a recent inspection by a third-party auditor."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are many different kinds of foodborne diseases that can be difficult to diagnose and require different treatments, depending on the symptoms they cause.  Foodborne illness symptoms most commonly include diarrhea or vomiting, according the CDC.

Dr. Kenneth Spicklemire of UAP Clinic said that he and his colleagues have seen numerous patients with gastroenteritis both on and off campus.

"For the last three or four weeks I've been seeing people exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms," Spicklemire said.

Spicklemire could not confirm that any of the cases he'd seen were related specifically to their attendance at the conference.

Gastroenteritis, or stomach flu, can exist in either viral or bacterial forms.

Spicklemire said that a viral form of the infection could be spread by physical contact or through the air.