The Tarrant County Public Health Department is continuing investigations into what caused stomach illnesses by students and staff at Grapevine High School earlier this week, but preliminary reports show no correlation to food served at school.

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials are working with the Tarrant County Public Health Department, the City of Euless Health Department, the Texas Board of Health, and a fast-food restaurant that provides food for re-sale at GCISD schools to determine a cause for the illness. While health officials continue to seek a cause, no direct connections have been established.

Dr. Bobby Jones, chief epidemiologist with Tarrant County Public Health Department, says preliminary findings do not indicate a connection to a particular food item. “We have found no evidence at this time that it is food-borne, and I am not at all convinced that it is related whatsoever to anything served at school. It may, in the end, be a type of intestinal virus. But we will continue to investigate.”

An initial link was made with the chicken salads that are prepared, packaged and delivered to GCISD by Chick-fil-A, including GHS, because the individuals who initially reported stomach ailments had all purchased the salads. However, initial inspections conducted at both the Chick-fil-A Restaurant in Southlake, which serves GCISD, and the Grapevine High School food service area, yielded no clues into the cause. No health code violations were found.

Donald Perry, vice president of Public Relations, Chick-fil-A says: “We have welcomed the inspections at our restaurant by the Health Department officials and hope a cause for the illnesses will be determined as soon as possible. Our understanding is that no correlations have been made between foodservices at Grapevine High or the Chick-fil-A products served at the school. We have made a thorough review of all of our food preparation procedures and will continue to cooperate with all health and school officials toward solving this problem."

Julie Telesca, director of Nutrition Services, also states that a comprehensive review has been made of all food handling procedures at all GCISD sites, including Grapevine High, and is confident that all food-handling procedures are being followed in accordance with safety practices and regulations.

Tarrant County Public Health Department is asking families whose students at GHS experienced stomach ailments of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or cramping this week to call Dr. Bobby Jones at 817/871-7279 or 817/998-0290, the emergency pager for the Tarrant County Health Department to aid with the investigation.