An elementary school science project that involved dissecting owl droppings was probably responsible for an outbreak of salmonella that sickened dozens of pupils, officials said. Genetic tests of salmonella bacteria from a captive owl at Warner Nature Center show the bacteria match the germs that made the children sick, said Fred Anderson, county epidemiologist. It feels very good to tie those things up.
Students learn what an owl eats by dissecting the material.
The droppings and pellets were used last month in science club demonstrations at Andersen and Rutherford elementary schools. One dissection took place in the Andersen cafeteria, and the table was not disinfected immediately afterward. Within days, many students contracted flu-like symptoms, prompting a number of precautions in both cafeterias as well as a hunt for the cause. Several children were hospitalized briefly. The owl was sent to the University of Minnesota Raptor Center for further testing and could be given antibiotics.