WestConn to sanitize Midtown, Westside campuses after illness outbreak

An illness outbreak at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury has forced school officials to sanitize its Midtown and Westside campuses.

Roughly 40 students became ill, with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, on Thursday and Friday, said university spokesman Paul Steinmetz. By Saturday afternoon, roughly 50 students had reported symptoms, Steinmetz said.

He said Sunday the illness appeared to be slowing down, and that no new cases were reported since Saturday afternoon. The WCSU Police Department did not transport anyone to the emergency room Saturday night or Sunday morning.

“We are continuing to work with the state Department of Public Health and the Danbury Health Department, and we are hoping most of the students who did get sick will give information to the WCSU Health Services Department,” Steinmetz said in a statement. “We will continue to hold events and classes, and will urge all students, faculty, staff and visitors to follow good hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing.”

Steinmetz said Sunday the state health department hopes to determine what caused the outbreak within a few days.

Despite a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement about an E. coli outbreak connected to romaine lettuce, Steinmetz said the school has ruled out bacteria as the cause of the outbreak.

“There hasn’t been romaine lettuce served at the cafeterias for over a week,” he said. “We’re confident that it’s not E. coli.”

Most of the sick students are on the university’s Westside campus. On Friday, all food from the Westside cafeteria was thrown out as a precaution, “to limit any further outbreak and any further spread,” Steinmetz said.

The Westside cafeteria and common areas were sanitized on Saturday, he said, while the Midtown cafeteria and common areas are scheduled to be cleaned Sunday.

Steinmetz said he hasn’t heard about any faculty or administration staff showing symptoms of the illness.

A WCSU Orchestra concert scheduled for Sunday afternoon has been rescheduled for May 5 because, “many of the student musicians are sick,” Steinmetz said.

Sick students were advised to contact the university’s health services on campus.

The university reminded students to properly wash their hands and not to share food or drinks with others.

If a student vomits in their dorm room, Steinmetz said, students can contact housing and residential life staff to help with cleaning.