Dozens of Illnesses Reported After People Eat at Redwood Shores Hotel

By Bay City News Service:

A Redwood Shores hotel has closed its kitchen after an outbreak of illness that has affected more than three dozen people, San Mateo County Health System officials said Tuesday.

The outbreak was first reported Oct. 26 when 12 people who had attended the California Hawaii NAACP annual convention at the Hotel Sofitel at 223 Twin Dolphin Drive were taken to the hospital by ambulance with gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to county health officials.

An unspecified number of others also transported themselves to the hospital, triggering an investigation by county and state health officials.

More people became ill following subsequent events at the hotel, bringing the reported total number of people affected to around 40 as of Monday morning, county health spokeswoman Robyn Thaw said.

The hotel closed the kitchen on Thursday and has taken steps to disinfect the property, according to Thaw.

Officials hope to have lab results back this week.

Sandra Duhamel, spokeswoman for hotel group Accor that owns the Sofitel Luxury Hotels chain, said in an email that those who initially fell ill recovered within 24 to 48 hours.

“Shortly after the first illnesses were reported, we retained an epidemiologist who advised us that the symptomatology indicated the possibility of a community acquired virus such as norovirus being the cause,” Duhamel said.

The spokeswoman said the hotel is cooperating with county health officials’ investigation into the illness.

“We understand and sympathize with any concern this has caused, as the health of our guests is of the utmost importance to us,” Duhamel said.