2013 Outbreak of Norovirus at a Restaurant Located in Eden Prairie, MN

In May 2013 two individuals residing in two separate households reported illness after eating at a restaurant located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The meal date was May 15. One person had ordered lunch for a group of 10-15 persons on May 15 but investigators were not able to obtain the names of the group to gather information about food/beverage consumption and illness histories. Thus, only the two ill complainants were interviewed. Both cases reported diarrhea, vomiting, cramps and fever. The median incubation period was 31 hours (range, 30 to 32 hours). One ill patron submitted a stool specimen for testing at the Minnesota Department of Health Public Health Laboratory. The specimen was positive for norovirus GII. Both cases reported eating fish burritos with guacamole, lettuce, salsa and chips. The cases had no other recent meals in common. Illness histories were obtained for all 8 restaurant employees. No employees reported any gastrointestinal symptoms in the two weeks prior to May 15. During the onsite visit, sanitarians noted that there were no tongs for the limes in the self-serve chips and salsa bar. No violations were noted. Gloves were being worn and an employee illness log was being used. Public health investigators concluded this was a probable foodborne outbreak of norovirus associated with a restaurant in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The vehicle and source of contamination were not identified.

Overview

Outbreak began:May 2013
Affected country:US
States/territories:MN
Pathogen:Norovirus
Vehicle(s):Unknown
Location(s):Restaurant
Molecular test results:yes

Health impact

Total ill:2

Sources & documents

Outbreak documents