Updated 2:45 p.m. Nov. 12

Several salmonella cases have been identified in Cascade County, beginning Oct. 30, according to the Cascade City-County Health Department.

As of Nov. 12, six students at Sacajawea and Valley View elementary schools, one staff member at another school and one person with no school connections have been identified, according to CCHD.

CCHD staff have contacted all confirmed individuals and is working with Great Falls Public Schools nursing staff and officials to notify families, limit spread and identify the potential source of contamination.

At this point, no source of origin has been confirmed.

Jackie Mainwaring, GFPS assistant superintendent, told The Electric that the students were across grade levels.

She said they serve 450 meals a day across those two elementary schools, or about 4,500 meals across the 10 day window of illness, so would expect more cases if there was a problem with school food.

She said Halloween falling in the time period of the cases presenting could be a factor, but they’re working with CCHD and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to investigate any connections with other salmonella cases in other Montana counties and states.

Mainwaring said that Jessa Youngers, the district’s food service director, and her staff went to the affected schools and it hasn’t appeared to be anything that happened in food processing at the schools.

In other counties and states with salmonella outbreaks, the cases were linked to prepackaged lettuce and tomatoes so Youngers pulled those items as a precaution, but there’s no indication at this point of that being the source, Mainwaring said.

Erica Harp, lead nurse for GFPS, told The Electric that in this case, they didn’t see many symptoms presenting to the school nurses, but students were staying home with significant diarrhea.

One student was taken to the doctor where a stool sample was collected and confirmed as salmonella, Harp said.

The result was reported to the school and the nursing staff contacted CCHD to report the case. CCHD then works with the person to trace for the source and also identify other cases, she said.

Since GFPS now knows they’re dealing with a currently small outbreak, school nurses are conducting heightened surveillance to watch for those symptoms, Harp said.

School nurses always watch the trends in absences due to illness to follow up on any potential widespread illnesses.

Superintendent Heather Hoyer told The Electric that since so many meals were served between those two elementary schools and only six students got sick, plus an employee at a third school, “we’re having a hard time connecting the dots.”

She said that Halloween was a “monkey wrench” with students consuming treats the district didn’t necessarily have control over.

“We’re learning how complex it is to be tracking these outbreaks,” Hoyer said.

So far, they haven’t been family clusters of illness and have been “really scattered.”

Hoyer said that Mainwaring and school staff had been contacting families at the schools with confirmed student cases, alerting them to watch for symptoms and to increase awareness in those locations.

Salmonella is typically spread by consuming contaminated food, but may also be contracted from infected people that are handling or contacting food, or from animals, according to CCHD.

CCHD advises consistent hand-washing before handling food, after physical contact with animals or people, and after using the toilet, changing diapers, or assisting another person with hygiene. If you are experiencing symptoms, do not prepare food or drinks for others, and stay from school or work.

Symptoms of salmonella usually start six hours to six days after infection and usually last four to seven days, with most people recovering without treatment after four to seven days, according to CCHD.

Some people, especially children younger than five years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization, according to CCHD.

According to CCHD, symptoms include:

• watery diarrhea that might have blood or mucus
• stomach cramps that can be severe
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• loss of appetite
• fever
• signs of dehydration (reduced urination, dry mouth and throat, dizziness when standing up)

CCHD advises contacting a medical provider if you are experiencing severe symptoms such as:

• diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
• diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving
• bloody stools
• prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down
• signs of dehydration, such as making very little urine, dry mouth and throat, dizziness when standing up

Medical providers should promptly report any identified cases to CCHD:

• during business hours: 406-791-9279
• after hours: 406-454-6955
• confidential fax: 406-761-9898