Nick & Jimmy's Bar & Grill in Ohio: Norovirus
According to a story in the Toledo Blade, potato salad provided by Nick & Jimmy's Bar & Grill, a Toledo restaurant, is being investigated as the likely source of a Norovirus food poisoning outbreak in Bowling Green, Ohio, that sickened as many as 100 people. Nick & Jimmy's served the potato salad at a graduation party in the Bowling Green area on June 15.
In the story, Amy Jones, communicable disease nurse for the Wood County Health Department, was cited as saying that potato salad served at the party tested "fairly high for fecal coliform." Ms. Jones said the potato salad most likely was contaminated when a food service employee failed to wash his or her hands after using the restroom. What this means is that an employee's feces were in the potato salad. People who ate the potato salad also ate the employee's feces and consequently became victims of Norovirus poisoning.
Health regulations throughout the United States require food handlers to wash their hands after using the restroom and prohibit food handlers from coming in contact with food when they have diarrhea, a symptom of Norovirus. Restaurants are responsible when their food handlers come to work sick and are allowed to handle food and when their foodhandlers fail to adequately wash their hands. Restaurants should not be serving food that is contaminated with human feces.
Source: Erica Blake and Jennifer Feehan, "Eatery investigated after dozens become ill: State focuses on potato salad from Nick & Jimmy's," Toledo Blade, July 8, 2006.