Norovirus Ruled Out in Convention Outbreak

Posted on March 24, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

Bacterial toxins -- not Norovirus -- probably caused an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in about 150 of 1,000 attendees at a YMCA Youth and Government meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, in early February. Five were hospitalized.

That is the followup report from WRAL-TV in Raleigh, quoting health officials including state epidemiologist Dr. Megan Davies.

Said Davies: “The timing of the outbreak and the fact that most sick attendees had only diarrhea and not vomiting make it unlikely that norovirus was the main cause. Still, some students might have had norovirus when they arrived at the conference in Raleigh.”

WRAL reported that health investigators surveyed more than half of the conference attendees. Investigators found that students who ate at a February 12 banquet at the convention center were almost three times more likely to get sick as those who didn't attend the banquet. No other meals were associated with illness, officials said.

The short time between the dinner and the onset of illness makes it more likely that bacterial toxins, a common cause of food poisoning, were to blame, the station reported.
 
Bacterial toxins typically cause diarrhea, stomach cramps or vomiting within a few hours of eating contaminated food. The keys to preventing food-borne illness caused by these toxins are thoroughly washing raw ingredients to reduce bacteria on the food; keeping cooked foods separate from raw, uncooked foods; thoroughly cooking meat and poultry; and keeping cooked foods at safe temperatures after cooking.
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Raleigh Norovirus Hits YMCA Conference

Posted on February 15, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

Health officials in Wake County, North Carolina, confirmed Norovirus as the cause of an outbreak of vomiting and nausea at a YMCA youth and government conference in downtown Raleigh.

More than 150 youth and advisors began experiencing nausea and vomiting Friday night after a catered dinner and a fleet of ambulances was sent to the downtown Raleigh Sheraton Hotel to treat victims. The county said six were hospitalized.

Epidemiologists are still looking for the source of the outbreak. Since it  was reported, the county’s epidemiological team has interviewed 152 people and inspected several food service establishments as part of the ongoing investigation into a cause of the norovirus outbreak. Control measures have been put in place at food service establishments to reduce the spread of norovirus, including:

  • Sanitizing with chlorine.
  • Emptying and sanitizing ice buckets
  • Restricting bare hand contact with food
  • Evaluating food service employee health

If you were affected by this outbreak and have questions about possible legal compensation, contact national food poisoning law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form on the side of this Web page. We are a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and we have been helping victims collect compensation for years.

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Raleigh Convention Center Food Poisoning Strikes YMCA Conference

Posted on February 14, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

Epidemiologists are studying what caused more than 150 people to fall ill with diarrhea, vomitting and stomach cramping after a catered dinner Friday night at Raleigh Convention Center.

The event was part of a regional youth and government conference held by YMCA. According to a report on the apparent foodborne illness outbreak by the Charlotte News and Observer newspaper, at least five attendees were hospitalized.

The illnesses were so sudden and widespread that ambulances were sent to the downtown Raleigh Sheraton Hotel where many of the sick were staying. The newspaper said at least 20 ambulances and several firetrucks were parked along Salisbury Street behind the hotel throughout Saturday morning.

Wake County health investigators interviewed students Saturday afternoon to determine whether the illness might have been caused by a food-borne pathogen.  

Wake County spokeswoman Marshall Parrish said epidemiologists will be studying the outbreak over the next few days or weeks in an attempt to find the cause.

If you were affected by this outbreak and have questions about possible legal compensation, contact national food poisoning law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form on the side of this Web page. We are a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and we have been helping victims collect compensation for years.

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