Health officials said a possible outbreak of norovirus after raw oysters sickened more than 80 people as they celebrated a restaurant acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as the Best Restaurant.
The L.A. County Health Department said the mussels were served to guests attending the L.A. Times “101 Best Restaurants” event at the Hollywood Palladium on Dec. 3, a lavish gala where general admission costs $246 and VIP tickets can go up to $600. Can. ,
“At this time, more than 80 people who ate the oysters have reported illness,” the health department said in a statement while investigating the outbreak.
Those who reported falling ill suffered from diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain, which are common symptoms. highly contagious norovirusWhat’s commonly called “stomach flu,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jennifer Ragusano, one of the attendees who became ill, said she and her husband were sick for a day and a half because of the oysters.
“It was coming from both sides,” he told LA TacoWhich first reported the possible outbreak.
Ragusano said he was disappointed that the LA Times did not publicly disclose the incident, despite learning about the investigation and possible outbreak days before LA Taco reported the story.
“Obviously they’re not going to print it in their newspaper,” Ragusano said. “But they are a newspaper and newspapers are expected to share news.
He added, “That’s usually how people find out about something like this.” “It’s ironic because it happened to them.”
Newspaper spokeswoman Hillary Manning said all safety protocols for the restaurant event were followed.
“As with each of our events, we had protocols in place and, based on inspection by the LA County Department of Public Health, we were in compliance with all relevant safety standards.” Manning told the LA Timeswhich ultimately covered the outbreak.
According to the health department, the oysters served at the event came from Fanny Bay Select Oysters and Fanny Bay XS Oysters, which have since been recalled.
The mussels themselves were supplied from Santa Monica Seafood, a sponsor of the LA Times event.
The company told ABC News It was cooperating with public health officials in the investigation, while emphasizing that it was not the cause of the outbreak.
“There is no evidence to suggest mismanagement at any point in the supply chain, including at Santa Monica Seafood or any of the restaurants participating in the LA Times program,” the retailer said.
The recall notice was issued on December 13, 10 days after the incident, with the FDA warning restaurants and consumers on December 18 to refuse to sell or eat the oysters due to possible norovirus contamination.
The FDA warning was issued for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.
The agency is investigating whether the outbreak may have originated in British Columbia, Canada.
The LA case comes nearly a year after another possible investigation by the FDA norovirus outbreak Because of the raw oysters served in San Diego.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Food Safety(T)Los Angeles Times(T)Oysters(T)Virus
