UW-Madison officials have found the floor of the UW-Madison Stock Pavilion to be a source of the E. coli bacteria Oct. 6 that left 35 people sick after a pre-Badger football game pancake and sausage breakfast last month.
\As part of the investigation, we took manure samples and found that one cow tested positive [for E. coli],"" said University Health Services Epidemiologist Craig Roberts.
How exactly the victims came in contact with the bacteria is still unclear.
""E. coli has to be ingested through the mouth, so it's total speculation at this point as to how the contamination occurred,"" Roberts said.
The longer people waited in line, the more time they had to come in contact with it, he said.
As long as animals are present, food should not be, Roberts said.
""It's mostly bad luck,"" he said.
The pavilion, constructed in 1908, is used mainly for agriculture shows and for housing livestock such as cows and sheep, said John Lucas, University Communication's relations specialist.
It is also used for various organization's activities and large entertainment venues, he said.
Throughout the past 40 years, many events have been held at the Stock Pavilion in which food was involved.
""This came as quite a surprise because, to our knowledge, no known outbreaks have occurred in the past,"" Lucas said.
The pavilion has been used for a variety of purposes in the past. U.S. presidents Harry Truman and Teddy Roosevelt have spoken there, and bands such as R.E.M. have played there, Lucas said.
Following the Nov. 2 discovery of E. coli, the university is now considering upcoming events at the Stock Pavilion on a case-by-case basis, Lucas said.
""Once the investigation is finished, [a policy group] will come up with recommendations for what is appropriate,"" he said.
In the wake of the findings, university officials cancelled a haunted house scheduled to take place at the Stock Pavilion.
Currently, the Livestock 101 class is the only activity occurring outside the pavilion.
""The students in [Livestock 101] and their professor take more precautions, such as washing their hands frequently,"" Lucas said.
He said that ""safety is the paramount thing for the university.\
