Outbreak: Viral Epidemic Hits YU With a Vengeance

On Tuesday December 22, approximately 25 students paid visits to the health services center on the first floor of Rubin Hall complaining of upset stomachs, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fever. The University doctor, an employee of Beth Israel Health Services, proceeded to inform the New York Department of Health of a possible epidemic.

Although only 25 students went to the campus doctor, the actual number of students afflicted with these symptoms is estimated to be around one hundred. Hatzolah, the on-campus ambulance corps, transported five students to Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. The hospital subsequently alerted the N.Y. Department of Health, and two epidemiologists, Dr. Amy Fine and Dr. Jim Miller were assigned to the case.

Speculation spread that the outbreak was caused by food poisoning. The Health Department officials interviewed some of the students, but a common food source could not be found. A group of students ate together at Deli Kasbah, and all fell ill within a few hours. Other students claimed that they got sick from eating at Time Out. Still others have implicated fish served in the YU cafeteria.

Benjamin Rosenberg ate at Deli Kasbah on Tuesday and a few hours later started to complain of diarrhea and vomiting. The next day he was found unconscious on the bathroom floor and taken to Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital where he was given intravenous fluids for dehydration. His brother, Edmundo, also ate at Kasbah and became sick. Edmundo said, "I threw up seven times…I was sick for a few days and it completely disrupted the taking of my finals."

Steven Weiss was among the students who ate at Time Out and started to vomit a few hours later. He was sick for three days with a low-grade fever and upset stomach. Lionel Abitbol had the fish in the cafeteria and began to vomit almost immediately. He said, "So many people on my floor (7th floor Rubin) were sick. Everyone was throwing up all over the place, it was a pretty disgusting scene…I had to take a final later that day, and I left every few minutes to vomit."

Students in all Residence Halls were affected. The Department of Health ruled it a viral outbreak and claimed that it was not caused by food poisoning. Viral outbreaks are easily spread in nursing homes and dormitories because of the close contact of a group of people living in an isolated environment.

Many students still assert that their sickness was caused by something they ate. The Department of Health will not be investigating further. Paul Skzlarski, a spokesman for Beth Israel Health Services said, "It was just a coincidence that it happened to everyone at the same time."