Hundreds of people in Ohio have been sick this week — and they can blame doughnuts: Officials have linked at least 230 reports of norovirus to one local doughnut shop.
The Toledo-Lucas County health department has confirmed that local residents’ norovirus came from local doughnut shop Mama C’s, with three samples taken from the restaurant testing positive.
At least 230 people said they became ill after eating there between Aug. 4 and 7.
The restaurant closed down to be sanitized on Tuesday, and will probably stay closed for a few more days until officials grant it permission to reopen. Norovirus is highly contagious and difficult to kill, making it a particular scourge on cruise ship and in hospitals and nursing homes.
Since the disease spreads so easily and quickly, the local health department is worried about secondary infections — that is, people who contracted the illness at the doughnut shop passing it to friends, family members, or people they serve at their own foodservice jobs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have had norovirus should keep from serving food to others for at least 48 hours after their symptoms go away. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headaches, muscle aches, and fever.
“People are pretty quick to shame them, but it can happen anywhere,” one customer who had visited Mama C’s just before the outbreak told WTOL-TV. “I mean, I clean, but my goodness, my house could be carrying a virus for all I know with the people coming in and out, touching things. I think it’s super unfortunate. We are definitely going to give them a second chance.”
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