Health center-fest struck: dozens sickened after annual luncheon in Colorado

Health officials are investigating the cause of what sickened 27 people following a luncheon this week for the Pueblo Community Health Center.

"It’s too early to implicate the caterer. We’re only a day into it and we have 27 people sick out of 80," Dr. Chris Nevin-Woods said Thursday.

"The symptoms are fitting of a number of possibilities, but it could be something other than food," Nevin-Woods said. One possibility could be norovirus.

Janet Fieldman, the health center’s chief foundation officer, sent an email Thursday to those who attended the dinner, alerting them to the outbreak and telling them they would be contacted by health officials.

The email was sent to several elected officials at the city and county levels, college leaders, doctors and members of the medical community.