50 illnesses linked to Margaritas (a restaurant, not the drink)

Margaritas, a Holland, Michigan Mexican restaurant has been closed for the past few days due to yet-to-be identified cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses. According to reports, the Ottawa County Health Department is conducting interviews and testing food samples to search for a pathogen and source.

Spokeswoman for the health department, Shannon Felgner, said health department staff have called those who reported symptoms to gather a food history and timeline of the illness onset and recovery.

She said the number infected will be more than 50, but didn’t give an estimate of what they expect it will be.

The owner of Margarita’s, Alonzo Salinas, closed the restaurant Friday after several people were hospitalized earlier in the week.

Salinas said it’s not clear whether the illnesses were passed along by food or employees.

According to a Holland Sentinel picture, the operators posted a sign that says "We will be Closed…for cleaning and remodeling. We apologize for any inconvenience."  Remodeling might not be the best word here. Mentioning the outbreak and directing customers who might be ill to health care providers is a better message.
 

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About Ben Chapman

Dr. Ben Chapman is a professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. As a teenager, a Saturday afternoon viewing of the classic cable movie, Outbreak, sparked his interest in pathogens and public health. With the goal of less foodborne illness, his group designs, implements, and evaluates food safety strategies, messages, and media from farm-to-fork. Through reality-based research, Chapman investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers, and organizational decision-makers; the gate keepers of safe food. Ben co-hosts a biweekly podcast called Food Safety Talk and tries to further engage folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, maybe not surprisingly, Pinterest. Follow on Twitter @benjaminchapman.