Applebee's Food Poisoning Outbreak
At least 32 people who ate at Applebee’s in Lansing, Michigan, have become ill. Health officials suspect food poisoning, most likely norovirus. Foodborne norovirus outbreaks are most often the result of an infected food handler not washing his or her hands adequately.
The symptoms of norovirus usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. The illness is usually brief, with symptoms lasting only about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults.
The very young, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are all at risk for severe dehydration. The elderly and people with compromised immune systems may develop additional serious medical complications as a result of a norovirus infection. For these people, the symptoms of norovirus may last for months or longer.
