In January 2011, public health officials in Minnesota investigated an outbreak of norovirus among patrons of a restaurant located in Excelsior, Minnesota. Three individuals from two dining parties reported symptoms following a meal on January 1. Stool specimens collected
from two cases tested positive for norovirus GI. No one was hospitalized and no one died.

Illness histories and job duty information were obtained from the 48 restaurant employees who worked on January 1. Five employees reported having had gastrointestinal illness previous to or on the implicated meal date.

The vehicle of transmission was not identified, but the source of contamination was one or more of the ill food handlers who reported gastrointestinal symptoms previous to or on the implicated meal dates and who had contact with ready-to-eat foods.