A norovirus outbreak has sickened at least 30 people who visited a Chuck E. Cheese in Woodbury, MN last week. The restaurant closed for a cleaning in Tuesday evening and reopened Wednesday afternoon.
Symptoms of a norovirus infection are vomiting and diarrhea. No hospitalizations have been reported. It is not clear how many of those sickened were children.
Highly contagious, norovirus, the leading cause of food posioning outbreaks in the U.S., sickens about 20 million Americans each year. Most, about 65 percent, happen at restaurants and originate from an infected food worker.
People with norovirus shed billions of viral particles in their stool and vomit. The virus is transmitted when a food handler who has been sick has microscopic amounts of vomit or stool on his or her hands and touches food that is eaten by someone else.
The virus is easily transmitted in shared spaces that are not carefully and thoroughly cleaned. The amount of norovirus that fits on the head of a pin is enough to make 1,000 people sick.
A person with norovirus is most contagious while they are experiencing symptoms but may also infect others before symptoms start and after they resolve which is why public health workers urge sick restaurant employees to stay home if they are sick.
Norovirus is hard to kill and can remain on foods even at temperatures below freezing and above 140°F. It can survive of on countertops or utensils for up to two weeks. It can also resist many common disinfectants and hand sanitizers.
