The outbreak of norovirus at Mulvaney’s restaurant in Sacramento we told you about in March has been confirmed and updated. Laura McCasland, Communication & Media Officer of the Sacramento County Department of Health & Human Services told us that 138 people were sickened in this outbreak.
The ill persons ate at the restaurant between Friday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 26, 2013. During the week of February 17 to February 24, 2013, at least six food service workers reported that they were ill. People started gettting sick between Friday, February 22, 2013 and Thursday, February 28, 2013. The cause of the illness was norovirus. The restaurant was inspected February 13, 2013 and passed.
Public health officials suspect that the foods that are associated with the risk of developing illness include Turkish coffee pudding, pickled beet salad, grilled eggplant, ham, lamb, and Yukon potatoes. The age range for all of the people sickened at this event was 18 to 80 years old. Among all of the ill patrons who ate at Mulvaney’s restaurant, 52.4% were female and 47.6% were male.
Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness around the world. The virus sickens more than 20 million American every year. It is very contagious and is spread through contaminated food and water, touching contaminated surfaces, and person-to-person contact. The symptoms of norovirus include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and low grade fever. The infection is often mild and brief, but some people can become seriously ill when infected and must be hospitalized. Most people recover on their own without medical treatment.
