Illness Source Still Unknown

Health officials say they still haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of an outbreak of shigellosis, a form of dysentery, that apparently has struck at least 100 people.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to isolate it this week,” said Bruce Arnell, district health director at Idaho Falls. “We’re looking at the water, sewage, food, it could be a combination of a number of things.”

Arnell said his office interviewed more than 200 people, but hasn’t been able to determine why some people got sick and others did not.

A two-week outbreak started Aug. 5 and centered on the Sawtelle Mountain Resort near Henry’s Lake. There were scattered cases elsewhere during the period.