More than 60 confirmed ill after visiting Kellogg Center
UPDATED 12:55 P.M. - EAST LANSING - More than 60 cases of stomach illness among people who attended events at the Kellogg Center last week have been confirmed by county health officials as of Wednesday afternoon.
Health officials are fielding calls and updating the number of confirmed cases "by the minute," Linda Vail, Ingham County health officer, said Wednesday. The department has confirmed 64 cases of stomach illness and is currently reaching out to 27 people who contacted the health department to confirm they suffered from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea after visiting the center.
The health department had reported 25 cases as of Tuesday afternoon.
The exact cause of the outbreak is not yet known and won't be until officials at the state laboratory analyze samples, she said, adding that cleaning and disinfecting efforts by MSU should kill off any contaminants that could be spreading a norovirus or similar bugs.
Michigan State University reopened the kitchen at the Kellogg Center today, which was closed Monday after people began reporting stomach ailments.
Illnesses were first reported Saturday, Vail said. Department staff are reaching out to attendees of half a dozen events that took place last week at the Kellogg Center to inquire about their health.
"We were originally focusing in on the one event on Thursday, but we've now broadened our investigation," Vail said. Approximately 97 events took place at the Kellogg Center last week.
The majority of confirmed cases have come from six events, among them a promotion event held by the Office of the Provost on Thursday that left at least 31 people sick. Attendees of a Crimestoppers event and a Connected Math event on Friday, as well as a Saturday gathering held by Delta Sigma Theta, also reported coming down with illness. Several Sunday brunch eaters who dined at the State Room also contacted the health department Wednesday to report their symptoms, Vail said.
The State Room is a restaurant in the Kellogg Center that uses the same kitchen but a different food preparation space than the Kellogg Center, Cody said.
About five Kellogg Center staff also reported experiencing stomach-related illnesses and were asked to stay out of work for 72 hours, Vail said.
The kitchen of the hotel and conference center, as well as the State Room restaurant, are serving food today after a thorough cleaning, Cody said. MSU officials met with staff from the Ingham County Health Department Tuesday to discuss the situation, and a university sanitarian conducted a final walk-through last night.
No events at the Kellogg Center were canceled during the kitchen closure and food was catered when necessary.
It's unlikely Kellogg Center staff will require additional training following the kitchen's closure, Cody said, although existing procedures will likely be reinforced by supervisors.
"Once health officials make a determination, we could reinforce our procedures," he said.
No other cafeterias, eateries or restaurants on campus were affected. One student who lives within Armstrong Hall has exhibited stomach flu symptoms, Cody said. Staff inside the building have been informed and are taking additional cleaning precautions.
Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.
How to report illnesses
Anyone who experienced stomach-related illnesses after visiting the Kellogg Center between Feb. 16 and 21 is asked to contact the Ingham County Health Department at 887-4311 or the University Physician’s office at 353-8933.