Caltech Illness Outbreak

A rash of student illness at Caltech in Pasadena forced the closing of campus dining halls and the school cafeteria, administrators said Tuesday.

Two outbreaks of illness involving up to 100 students prompted the suspension of food services Friday, and they were still closed Tuesday, said Jim Minges, business services director at Caltech.

The cafeteria and dormitory dining halls were to remain shut until tests identify the source of the illness, Minges said, adding that early lab tests failed to detect evidence of food poisoning in 10 students and staff members who complained of stomach and intestinal ailments.

Several students reporting illness didn’t eat campus food, baffling health officials, who are searching for other possible causes of the illness, Minges said.

“It’s a mystery,” he said, “and so far nothing has pointed us to a likely source.”