Student Illness: Reason for the Long Break in Blog Posts

First, I apologize for the long break in blog posts. A student was very ill, as the result of an E.coli infection, and had to go to the hospital. (Don't worry -- if it had been your student, you would have been informed!) We have been in frequent contact with the parents. E. coli, as you may know from the recent outbreak in California, can cause a serious intestinal illness. The student was put on antibiotics in the hospital, has recovered, and is eating lightly but is doing well.

We are not sure about the culprit. Since many students have been drinking tap water in great quantities (and this student rarely drank tap water), we do not feel it was the water supply. We are guessing it was a hamburger the student ate several days before the onset of symptoms. We have talked to the students about food safety, and as a precaution have suggested that students drink only bottled water.

Here is a link to a Mayo Clinic article about E.coli. Please let your student know if you have any recommendations for them. And please feel free to contact me by email (nhanway@gac.edu) if you have any questions or concerns. We have also been in constant contact with Carolyn O'Grady, the Director of the Center for International Education at Gustavus. She would also be happy to answer your questions (cogrady@gac.edu) or call her at 507-933-7545.