3 Dead, 5 Ill After Thanksgiving Dinner Hosted By Bay Area Non-Profit

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA – Three people died and five others were sickened after eating a Thanksgiving meal prepared at Antioch's American Legion Hall, according to a Contra Costa Health Services spokeswoman.

All eight people were admitted to Sutter Delta Medical Center at various times between Friday and Saturday with what appeared to be food-borne illnesses.

Three people died, four were treated and released and one person remains hospitalized, according to Sutter Health officials.

The cause of the deaths and illnesses is still under investigation, Contra Costa Health Services spokeswoman Victoria Balladares said.

Balladares said she didn't know what organization was responsible for preparing the meals, but said it was a non-profit group serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal to roughly 835 people.

"If it were a food-borne outbreak, we'd expect to see a lot more people getting sick," Balladares said.

County public health and environmental health officials are conducting an investigation to determine just what might have killed and sickened the diners, but Balladares said there is no current risk to the general public.

Typically, Loaves and Fishes, a nonprofit that provides free meals to low-income and homeless residents, uses the American Legion Hall to serve its lunches.

Loaves and Fishes, however, was not the group responsible for the Thanksgiving meal and they will continue to provide meals as usual, Balladares said.

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