Thread: 250 Get Sick At Olive Garden

My brother-in-law who lives in the Indianapolis area, said this outbreak isn't e-coli. He said it is like the Norovirus on the cruise ships or perhaps salmonella. The reason is because people get sick within a very short time where as exposure to e-coli takes several days for them to get sick. He does work in the medical field and is pretty smart. It is a shame that the authorities are so slow at giving out pertinent information.

Norovirus is quickly spread where you have alot of people confined in a small area such as on cruise ships or those who have 2 or more families living together. Being in Miami, the third world country, I have read all about it due to all the outbreaks on cruiseships. Guess what, all the media said: make sure you wash your hands.

We can wash our hands, but do they ?
I usally carry in the car a bottle with antibachterial (I don't remember the name, but you buy in Walgrrens) and I use it very often.
But if we eat salad in a restaurant who knows ?

Here is some interesting information I found on the Norovirus by the CDC. Not too much different from E. Coli as both are intestinal in nature.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gas ... ndlers.htm

How is norovirus spread?

Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can become infected with the virus in several ways, including:

eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus;
touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth;
having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms (for example, when caring for someone with illness, or sharing foods or eating utensils with someone who is ill).
Food and drinks can very easily become contaminated with norovirus because the virus is so small and because it probably takes fewer than 100 norovirus particles to make a person sick. Food can be contaminated either by direct contact with contaminated hands or work surfaces that are contaminated with stool or vomit, or by tiny droplets from nearby vomit that can travel through air to land on food. Although the virus cannot multiply outside of human bodies, once on food or in water, it can cause illness.

Some foods can be contaminated with norovirus before being delivered to a restaurant or store. Several outbreaks have been caused by the consumption of oysters harvested from contaminated waters. Other produce such as salads and frozen fruit may also be contaminated at source.



Why is norovirus infection important for food handlers?

People working with food who are sick with norovirus gastroenteritis are a particular risk to others, because they handle the food and drink many other people will consume. Since the virus is so small, a sick food handler can easily – without meaning to – contaminate the food he or she is handling. Many of those eating the contaminated food may become ill, causing an outbreak.

Outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis have taken place in restaurants, cruise ships, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, banquet halls, summer camps, and family dinners – in other words, places where often people have consumed water and/or food prepared or handled by others. It is estimated that as many as half of all food-related outbreaks of illness may be caused by norovirus. In many of these cases, sick food handlers were thought to be implicated.