RJ Wolcott

Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - More than two dozen cases of stomach illness reported in recent days prompted Michigan State University to close the kitchen of the Kellogg Center as well as the State Room restaurant, according to officials.

Approximately 25 guests who attended an event on Thursday at the Kellogg Center have reported suffering from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, said Linda Vail, health officer for the Ingham County Health Department. Calls began on Saturday and continued into the week, she added.

"We were originally focusing in on the one event on Thursday, but we've now broadened our investigation," Vail said. The health department hasn't ordered MSU to keep the kitchen closed, she said, and is working with the university to identify the number of people affected.

The cause of the illness is not yet known, Vail said. The Kellogg Center's kitchen, bathrooms and other surfaces have been disinfected for norovirus and similar bugs, although the kitchen remains closed. No cases of illness from State Room customers have been reported, said MSU spokesman Jason Cody, although it was and remains closed "out of an abundance of caution."

The State Room inside the Kellogg Center is a restaurant open to the public. A sign posted outside the restaurant on Tuesday evening said it would not be offer its a la carte menu "due to unforeseen circumstances."

Several staff members also reported stomach symptoms in recent days, she added, and affected employees are being asked to stay out of work for 72 hours. A cause won’t be known until samples can be analyzed at by the state laboratory, Vail said.

Regular food service will be restored later this week, Cody said. No events are being canceled and food will be catered while the kitchen remains closed, he added.

There are no reports of stomach illness at any other dining halls or restaurants on campus, according to a news release.

Anyone who visited 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.

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.