The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is investigating a large Salmonella outbreak that occurred among students of Woodbury Middle School in Salem. Director of Public Health Dr. Jose Montero was quoted as saying, "it’s a high probability it was related to food."
It’s a high probability that Dr. Montero is right. Sure, Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7–in fact, just pick your poison–can persist in our environments (natural and home), and can be transmitted in lots of different ways. It’s conceivable that the water was contaminated (a la Alamosa, CO). It’s conceivable that a lot of things could have happened to rid the Woodbury Middle School of students. But I’m with Dr. Montero. It’s the food. If so, we will be interested to know who stocked the Stone Environmental School’s shelves and cupboards.