Many Binghamton University students have reported experiencing gastrointestinal issues recently, including stomach pain and vomiting.

Over the past week and a half, students across campus reported having symptoms such as vomiting and stomach cramps, with some seeking medical help off campus. Out of an abundance of caution, BU Dining Services (BUDS) pulled food from dining halls and checked temperature logs after receiving complaints of gastrointestinal issues. The University, in collaboration with the Broome County Health Department, has not yet found a common factor behind the illnesses.

According to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, the cases do not yet resemble food poisoning, but the University will continue to monitor the issue.

“The campus has received reports of illness from students starting Thursday evening,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “At this time the symptoms, timing and food choices are not consistent with food poisoning.”

A survey put out by Luca Cassidy, a Student Association (SA) representative for Hinman College and undeclared freshman, documented that at least 65 students said they had symptoms of food poisoning between Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, with the majority of cases occurring between Thursday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 5.

Cassidy’s survey asked students experiencing symptoms to report the date they got sick, the food they had consumed and at which dining hall they ate. Students who had eaten in multiple dining halls filled out the form — largely including Hinman Dining Center but also including other dining halls, such as Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4) and the Appalachian Collegiate Center.

Cassidy said he drove one of his suitemates to United Health Services (UHS) early Saturday morning after she was vomiting for approximately four hours, and called Harpur’s Ferry for another friend who was experiencing similar symptoms Sunday night.

“I was like, ‘I’m going to make a form, because this is crazy,’” Cassidy said. “‘I need to know if this is a big problem, if there’s anything we can do.’”

In the survey, students reported becoming sick after eating a variety of foods from multiple different dining locations on campus. While many students suspected that the illness may have been food poisoning, current reports from BUDS indicate that there is no common factor behind the cases, according to Lori Benson, the marketing director for BUDS.

“[BUDS] managed by Sodexo takes food safety very seriously,” Benson wrote in an email. “On Friday, Feb. 4, we received multiple complaints from students who were having gastrointestinal issues. We immediately contacted both the University administration and the Broome County [Health Department] to provide them information about these concerns. We have been working with both organizations to try to find the cause of these issues and have not been able to find any common source that explains this issue.”

Some students reported continuing to get sick after the initial wave of reported illnesses between Feb. 3 and Feb. 5.

Min Zappa, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said she vomited on two different occasions after eating at C4 — once on Friday after eating broccoli cheddar soup and again on Tuesday, Feb. 8 after eating pizza. She ate off campus over the weekend.

“After Friday I was eating fine — I was not sick at all,” Zappa said. “Then [on Tuesday] it happened again and I was like, ‘It has to be the dining hall.’”

Zappa said that in both instances her symptoms lasted for under two hours.

Allison Sanel, a sophomore majoring in theatre, wrote in an email that her most severe symptoms lasted for about seven hours on Tuesday. She wrote that her symptoms were consistent with a stomach virus.

“I would say I’m going to continue eating on campus and this doesn’t change much,” Sanel wrote. “After all this kind of thing happens. And I don’t expect it to happen again.”

Some students said they had not reported their illness to BUDS. Benson encouraged those who believed they may have become sick from campus food to report their cases online and include their contact information.

“Sodexo has an established reporting procedure that we follow for any food complaint received,” Benson wrote. “We were able to contact some students, however many students who had a complaint did not provide contact information, so we were unable to reach out to them. We will continue to work together with the University, and we will share any findings if they occur.”

While there is no definite conclusion to the cause of students’ symptoms, there are measures students can take, such as practicing good hand hygiene and disinfecting surfaces, that would help stop the spread of noroviruses that cause stomach flu, according to Healthline Media.

Emily Farrell, a sophomore majoring in economics and the College-in-the-Woods Council president, said the University should have made a statement to students.

“From what I’ve heard it seems absolutely horrible and I think it’s a serious issue that so many students are experiencing this,” Farrell wrote in an email. “I just find it very concerning and appalling that the [University] has not made any kind of acknowledgement of the issue. When so many students are struggling with some mystery illness this severe, the administration should have put out a statement days ago, even if they don’t yet have answers or a solution.”