Nearly two dozen Butler Thetas sick
 

http://www.indystar.com/print/articl...-3176-092.html

Poor things! I hope they figure this out soon and everyone gets back to feeling well!

County health official to meet with ill Butler students

By Terry Horne
terry.horne@indystar.com
October 11, 2003
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A stomach illness has stricken nearly two dozen members of a Butler University sorority, prompting the Marion County Health Department to send an epidemiologist to campus to talk with the ill students.
And school officials asked members of the Kappa Alpha Theta house to remain inside their residence until they are all symptom free, according to a university spokeswoman.
The school's action was slightly stricter than the recommendations made by county health officials.
Health Department spokesman John Althardt said the sorority members were not under quarantine. The department had merely advised ill students to remain inside until their symptoms -- vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps -- subsided.
"What we suggested is that they should not mingle with others," he said.
Althardt said the Health Department is fairly confident, based on interviews with university health officials and students, that the illness is a virus, and not the result of food poisoning.
However, the epidemiologist will talk with some of the students today to make sure, he said. "We want to reassure the university community, the students, the parents, that we are looking at this from every possible angle," he said.

I was shocked when I heard about this yesterday because I have class with so many of the Thetas! I hope this is figured out soon because Butler isn't allowing them to attend class, and our Fall Break is next week.

That's awful!!

Are they still able to get assignments and things via email or something? I'd hate for so many girls to fall behind academically. :(

That I'm not sure of. BU sent out an all campus email telling us about it, and in it there was a mention of informing the teachers who would be involved. I'm sure someone will let them know about their homework.

I know professors are being alerted as to which students are affected. Also it's kinda nerve racking because there's so many news crews all over our campus today. The girls seem to be doing as well as can be expected, they have a lawn sign up saying "Living in and Lovin' It!" :)

Ahh! I hope all those Butler Thetas feel better soon!

Something like this but on a smaller scale happened to my chapter last year when over a dozen girls got horribly sick after a PIKE exchange. What made it even worse was that it happened smack dap in the middle of midterms and girls were literally throwing up in the bushes before going into the midterms. Lucky for me I was unable to go because I had a midterm the next day and so I didn't get the "PIKE SARS" as we jokingly called it but I definitely know what it was like to have dozens of your sisters around the house sick with some unknown disease.

Hope the Thetas have a quick recovery!

how sad...hopefully all is well or getting better...and whatever it is or was is not horribly contageous.

Update
 

By Diana Penner
diana.penner@indystar.com
October 10, 2003
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Marion County Health Department officials expect test results, which could be available early next week, to tell them precisely what made 27 Butler University sorority sisters sick.
Friday, those officials learned that the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea also had stricken other students, not just those living at the Kappa Alpha Theta house.
Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Health Department, said 45 or 50 Butler students could turn out to have contracted the illness.
Health officials do not believe the students have meningitis, a viral or bacterial infection that causes swelling around the spinal cord and typically is marked by a stiff neck. No students have those kinds of symptoms, Caine said.
Sorority members first got sick Sept. 29, Caine and Butler officials said, and the illness spread into last week, when the numbers got high enough to attract attention.
Sorority members said they had been told by their national headquarters not to comment.
Caine said the culprits being investigated include bacteria, such as E. coli and shigella, and viral infections that include noroviruses, previously called Norwalk-like viruses. These are often referred to as "cruise ship" sickness because they periodically break out and spread quickly on cruise ships.
Samples of food served at Wednesday's lunch, as well as stool samples, will be checked to determine the organism responsible for the sickness. Bacterial cultures take three to four days to yield results, and viral cultures take two to 10 days, Caine said.
Outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses with the numbers of victims seen at Butler occur once or twice a year in Marion County, and many of the organisms that cause them exist continually in the population. Caine said the original infection could have come from someone who became infected elsewhere. People can become infected, never get sick or show symptoms and still transmit an infection to others, who do become ill, she said.
When people live together and share eating, sleeping and lavatory areas -- such as in a home, a day-care center or a sorority -- such infections can spread quickly, Caine said. The Health Department has suggested that some areas be thoroughly cleaned with bleach. It also provided students with hand-washing tips to help them keep the illness from continuing to spread. .
Maureen Manier, a Butler spokeswoman, said a handful of women had been sent to emergency rooms for evaluation since Sept. 29; all were treated for dehydration and released. No one was admitted to a hospital, she said.
Health and school officials had initially urged "voluntary isolation" Friday -- not as strong as a quarantine -- but that was lifted later in the day after about 20 of the 60 sorority residents went home to their families -- either to recover or avoid getting sick in the first place.
The university's academic affairs office had been contacted to make arrangements for students who missed classes.
Those who stayed at the sorority house appeared to do so with good humor: They posted a handmade sign outside declaring: "Livin' inside and lovin' it."

That really sucks. Hope they get well soon. Hope they got alot of toliets with 27 girls vomiting and having diarrhea .

A huge Get Well Soon to all of the Butler Thetas, and anyone else who's been affected by this virus!

Ok, I feel bad for the girls and all.

But I had to laugh because when I first read the title I thought it said "Nearly two dozen Butler Thetas SUCK"

Ha ha ha ha ha...

double good thoughts that all is getting better for all the thetas. how scary is all of that infection discussion? bless all your hearts.

Video
 

You can watch the video news report here:

http://www.nbc5.com/health/2545539/detail.html?

That is sad and somewhat frightening. I hope they all get well soon.