RALEIGH -- A sixth student attending a YMCA Youth and Government conference became ill Saturday night with symptoms consistent with food-poisoning and was taken to a hospital, a Wake County Emergency Medical Services official said today.
Jeffrey Hammerstein, district chief of Wake EMS, said the latest student to be stricken had symptoms similar to those that struck more than 150 of the 1,000 or so students who attended a catered dinner Friday night at the Raleigh Convention Center. Five of those students were taken to the hospital and later released, Hammerstein said.
Wake County health department officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the illness and said it could be weeks or months before it's known. But Hammerstein, district chief of Wake said the symptoms could indicate food poisoning.
“The food-borne illness that's been discussed is within the realm of what could have caused these symptoms,” Hammerstein said Sunday.
YMCA spokeswoman Jennifer Nelson said she wasn't aware of the additional case, but noted that the original five were taken to the hospital have been released. Most of the other sickened students were treated at their hotel by ambulance crews from throughout the county.
Catering company Centerplate handles events at the convention center and another group's dinner there went ahead as planned Saturday night. Centerplate's vice president for marketing, Bob Pascal, said the health department inspected its facilities and cleared the Saturday event. His company is doing an internal investigation and awaiting the results of the health department's probe, he said.
“We have very strict policies and procedures to ensure the health of our guests,” Pascal said.
