11/09/2009 - Norovirus linked to raw shellfish
An outbreak of norovirus which infected 529 diners at a restaurant in Berkshire, is said to have been caused partly by raw shellfish, according to a report.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) report said that the shellfish served at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, was probably contaminated by human sewage.
Health inspectors traced the source of the oysters to a supplier in Essex, where the oyster beds were found to be infected with norovirus. The same source is also believed to have caused illness at other establishments.
Initially, about 40 people were taken ill after consuming the food, forcing the restaurant to be closed for more than two weeks after the incident occurred in February.
However, the infection surged for over six weeks because of "on-going transmission" at the restaurant, either due to "continuous contamination", or "person-to-person".
The report found that some employees had returned to work at the restaurant too early after contracting the bug.
The investigation by the HPA concluded that contaminated shellfish, together with ailing staff and the use of unsuitable cleaning products, exacerbated the impact of the outbreak.
All in all, a total of 529 people suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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