Puking cheerleader leads to outbreak

Food Safety Infosheet Highlights:
– Over 220 at cheerleading competition fall ill with norovirus
– The outbreak likely started when a participant showed up at the competition while ill.
– Health officials believe that the outbreak grew because affected individuals vomited in public.
– Chlorine bleach can inactivate norovirus; Quaternary ammonia (quats) are not recommended because the aren’t effective.
– A 5,000 ppm (25 tablespoons 5.25% bleach per gallon of water). bleach solution should be applied to soiled areas for at least 4 minutes.

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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.