Lab: About 60 Villa Rica students ate contaminated food

<p>The dozens of Villa Rica Middle School students who became sick last November most likely became ill after eating macaroni and cheese contaminated by staphylococcus bacteria, Carroll County health officials said.</p><p>A private lab test found that food samples tested positive for staphylococcus enterotoxin type A, the lab reported to the board members Wednesday. The Carroll County Board of Health commissioned the private test after a state agricultural lab was unable to determine exactly what sickened the 60 students</p><p>District health officials said food poisoning from the bacteria was the most likely cause of the students' illness but the food samples were in too poor of a condition to conclusively blame the illnesses on the bacteria.</p><p>Staph produces a toxin that is not heat-sensitive. It can stay in food even through cooking, said Dr. George Astin, chairman of the Board of Health.</p><p>The students complained of stomach pains and nausea, which is consistent with staph contamination. Many had two or three servings of the possibly contaminated entrees, which increased their potential exposure, district epidemiologist Shantay Thomas said</p><p>Health officials will send letters to the county's schools and will make visits to school cafeterias to ensure precautions are being taken to avoid future problems. Such measures include having employees wash their hands and keep food-service workers who are sick away from food handling duties.</p>