Last week the Blazing Onion, a restaurant in Gig Harbor, Washington, voluntarily closed for a short period after the Tacoma Pierce County Department of Health alerted the restaurant to cases of norovirus in people who had eaten at the restaurant, a source at the health department told us. At least eighteen people were sickened in this outbreak, some of whom did not eat at the restaurant. At least one person was hospitalized as the result of this illness.
The restaurant was closed for one day while it was cleaned and sanitized.
Norovirus is extremely contagious and causes vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, headache, and abdominal pain. In addition, the infectious dose of the virus is very low. People with norovirus are usually hospitalized because of dehydration or other complications. Symptoms manifest within one or two days after infection. Most people recover within a day or two.
