Danbury Health Dept Determines Cause of Diners' Illness

DANBURY, CT — The Danbury Health Department today announced the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s State Laboratory has confirmed through laboratory tests that a recent outbreak of gastrointestinal illness associated with a local food service establishment was caused by norovirus.

The illnesses were first reported to the Danbury Health Department on Dec. 26. The Danbury Health Department has been coordinating with DPH’s Epidemiology and Food Protection Programs, along with the State Laboratory, to determine the cause, extent, and origin of the outbreak. People infected with norovirus commonly experience vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and low grade fever.

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The outbreak first made headlines following complaints from diners who ate at Barbarie's Black Angus Grill in Danbury the weekend before Christmas.

The Department of Health has issued the following guidelines to residents looking to protect themselves from norovirus:

• Wash your hands often
• Rinse fruits and vegetables
• Cook shellfish thoroughly
• Stay home when sick and for two days after symptoms stop
• Avoid preparing food for others when sick and for two days after symptoms stop.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that norovirus spreads quickly. People with norovirus illness can shed billions of norovirus particles, and only a few virus particles can make other people sick.

Norovirus is the most common cause of foodborne diarrhea and vomiting. A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus, the CDC advises. Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days.

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