The Princeton Health Department is reporting that 30 people said they were sick with a gastrointestinal illness after eating at the Nassau Inn on Thanksgiving or the day after, according to Planet Princeton. Norovirus is suspected. The Inn was inspected on Monday, December 1, 2014.
The illnesses have not yet been confirmed with laboratory testing. The time frame for illness onset, the symptoms, and recovery time all point to norovirus, which is the most common cause of GI illnesses during the winter. The inspection found only minor issues that most likely did not cause the illnesses.
The symptoms of norovirus include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and low grade fever. It’s often called the “24 hour flu”, but there is no such illness. The common cold is the only illness more common than viral gastroenteritis. Most people recover from norovirus within a day or two, but some people become so ill they must be hospitalized.
Norovirus is spread by people eating food that is contaminated, touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching their mouths, or having person-to-person contact with someone who is ill. To prevent the spread of norovirus, never prepare or serve food or drink for someone else if you are sick, always wash hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before handling food, and stay home if you are sick. Clean surfaces with a bleach-based cleaner after someone is sick, and wash contaminated clothing with hot water and soap.
