Over the past week, dozens of Pomona students have experienced mild to severe salmonella symptoms, which have included mostly abdominal pains, but also diarreaha, dehydration, fever and nausea. As of last Monday, thirty-six people reported intestinal discomfort to the Student Health Center. Of those, 21 students were tested for salmonella. Twelve tested positive and one was hospitalized. Since then Frary Dining Hall has been closed, and no new cases have been reported.

The first reports of a salmonella outbreak on Pomona’s campus came on September 4, when a student tested positive for salmonella after eating at Frary Dinning Hall. In the days following, an increasing number of students reported abdominal discomfort to Student Health Services. By September 15, the Los Angeles County Health Department was notified of a possible salmonella outbreak on Pomona’s North Campus. The next morning, Frary Hall was closed, and since then, the Los Angles County Health Department and Aramark, the Claremont Colleges’s food service provider, have started an investigation that is expected to last several months.

The salmonella outbreak is the second of the year on Pomona’s campus. In July, about 120 people were infected with salmonella as a result of Frary’s catering services. As a result, many people in the Pomona community are looking to Aramark for an explanation of why there have been two outbreaks.

Lauren Hovey ’03, who contracted a mild case of salmonella, said, "I think the students have a basic trust in Aramark, especially since we have very few other options for dining. And because the students don’t really know what goes on in the food preparation, we’re also depending on the administration to make whatever adjustments are necessary to ensure what we eat is safe."

The recent outbreak frustrated not only students, but also Aramark, school administrators, Student Health Services and Los Angeles County Health officials, who are all trying to find an explanation for the outbreak. Dean of Students Ann Quinley said, "I think that there is almost nothing on campus that would cause a higher level of concern, because [the outbreak] affects the health of students. Trying to find out the source of this has been everyone’s full time job since the outbreak occurred. When we open Frary, we will do so only with the confidence that we have solved the problem."

District Manager for Aramark’s Claremont Café Collection Scott Parry added, "The safety and well-being of students, faculty, and our employees is our foremost concern, and we are affecting every measure to resolve this issue and to prevent this sort of occurrence in the future."

Last Thursday, Aramark distributed an update to all Pomona students, outlining the measures it was taking to prevent the further spread of salmonella. Their plans include: an immediate and thorough investigation to determine possible sources of the salmonella bacteria at Frary Dinning Hall; an investigation into the presence of salmonella at all Claremont College dining facilities by a team from the Los Angeles County Health Department; the closing of Frary Dining Hall for several days as well as extended hours in Frank Dining Hall to handle the surplus students; and the testing of all food-handling personnel at Frary Dining Hall (All Frary Dining Hall employees have been placed on temporary leave, with full pay, until these tests are completed).

Salmonella is a bacterium that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. Humans usually contract salmonella when they eat foods contaminated with animal feces. Although the Health Department’s official report will not be released for many months, some things are certain. Many raw foods, such as meat, poultry, and eggs are frequently contaminated with salmonella unless they are thoroughly cooked. The unwashed hands of an infected food handler can also cause salmonella poisoning.

According to Dr. Eric Frykman, a Baxter Medical physician who treated many students during the outbreak, inadequately cooked meat, poultry, or eggs, or infected food workers most likely caused the outbreak. "An outbreak of salmonella can come from many different sources," explained Frykman. "Even a small source of contamination can cause an outbreak."

Though Frykman says health is improving among infected students, there is a growing disenchantment with Aramark. Tim McEvoy ’02 said, "I personally, and I think the student body as a whole, are losing their trust in Aramark. I think if there are more incidents of food contamination, Pomona needs to seriously question its partnership with Aramark."

Aramark believes environmental factors may have caused the outbreak. Aramark has contracted Sillikar Laboratories, an independent firm of microbiologist environmentalists based in Carson, CA, to further assess Frary’s dining facilities beginning early this week. Later this week, yet another firm of microbiologists will confirm the work of Sillikar Laboratories.

An investigation is underway by the Los Angles County Department of Health, combining the efforts of The Food and Milk division and the Acute Communicable disease (ACD) division. The Food and Milk division will conduct an environmental investigation. This includes observing dining hall procedures such as food storage and preparation. In addition, they will test food that enters the facilities and take samples of the environment, such as cutting boards and water. The Food and Milk Division has launched an investigation in three of the Claremont Colleges’ kitchens, including Frank and Frary dining halls. The Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) unit conducts all epidemiology work. This includes determining what and where students ate ten to 72 hours before the onset of their symptoms. The ACD is also reviewing the files of those students who reported sick to Student Health Services to determine the breadth of the outbreak.

The official report issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Health, however, is expected to take many months to prepare. Dr. Elizabeth Bancroft, medical epidemiologist for Acute Communicable Disease control at the Los Angles County Department of Health Services, and an investigator in Pomona’s salmonella outbreak, said, "We are investigating multiple avenues, but there is nothing we can pinpoint at this time. Because there was an outbreak before, it makes us redouble our efforts. We are looking closely at the dining hall and at possible prior infection of Aramark employees," Bancroft continued. "Aramark has been extremely cooperative in this investigation."

Aramark and Los Angles County health officials are still uncertain about what caused last July’s salmonella outbreak. Approximately 120 people were affected by the two related outbreaks in Frary and Frank dining halls. In July, salmonella originally infected Frary’s conference dining services. When the conference dining services were moved from Frary to Frank, the salmonella outbreak quickly followed. The spread of salmonella from north campus to south campus was attributed to infected service personnel at Frary, who where transferred to Frank Dining Hall when Frary’s conference services were temporarily closed. After salmonella spread to Frank, all workers at Frary Dinning Hall were tested for salmonella. Seven food-service personnel tested positive for salmonella, although it was never clear whether they were the cause of the salmonella outbreak at Frary, or whether they too had eaten contaminated food at the dining hall.

In July, the Los Angles County Health Department found that the temperatures at which Aramark was serving and storing food was in compliance with Health Department standards. However, at the time of the outbreak, Aramark had changed its egg products. Typically, Aramark uses frozen pasteurized eggs. During the summer, however, Aramark switched to real shelled. Since the switch in egg products corresponded with an outbreak of salmonella, Health Department officials and school administrators believe that the change in egg products was most likely the source of the outbreak.

Bancroft adds that this outbreak, like every food contamination case, is very complicated. It is likely, she notes, that when the investigation is done, there will not be one definitive answer for what caused the salmonella outbreak at Frary. "There is no reason to panic because only a small percentage of the student body has gotten ill, and the number of cases are trickling off," Bancroft said. "We want to thank the students we’ve been calling to question. They have been very helpful. But in spite of everyone’s efforts, some outbreaks like this may never be resolved perfectly."

In the meantime, Aramark is taking several additional precautionary measures. Only frozen eggs will be served in Claremont College dinning halls. Special hand sanitizers will be installed in all of Aramark’s campus kitchens. Also, all managers and key people have, or are in the process of completing, ServeSafe, a course in proper restaurant sanitation.

Some students are still skeptical about the effectiveness of Aramark’s changes. Hovey spoke for many Pomona students when she said, "It’s going to take a long time before I can eat at Pomona’s dinning halls without thinking that what I’m about to eat is not contaminated."