UK wedding party full of police officers struck down with Norovirus after pub serves food found to be ‘unfit for human consumption’

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Douglas Powell

A wedding party with 80 guests – including 60 serving police officers – fell ill with norovirus after being served food ‘unfit for human consumption’.

The happy couple and the majority of their guests became unwell with the vomiting bug after eating vegetarian lasagne and fish pie during the reception at The Globe Inn at Frogmore, Devon.

Pub owners John Horsley, 64, and wife Lynda, 63, have been fined £10,000 for using dirty cleaning equipment and unclean food at the party.

They admitted three charges of breaching food hygiene laws at Torquay Magistrates Court and were fined £4,999 each.

Environmental health inspectors found unacceptable levels of bacteria on a towel used for hand drying and a pot sponge after the party last year.

The court heard how the couple failed to keep premises clean and have a proper system in place to check hygiene.

They were also found to have been unable to comply with food safety requirements.

Who wants norovirus at a wedding, in Finland?

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Douglas Powell

In August 2012, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred among 88 persons attending a wedding reception at a resort/activity centre in Ylöjärvi, Finland. Of 39 interviewed guests, 23 met the case definition.

Two persons were hospitalized. Epidemiological, laboratory and environmental investigations were conducted to characterize the outbreak and to recommend control measures. Investigation confirmed the presence of a new strain of norovirus GII.4 Sydney variant in stool specimens obtained from two wedding guests and on several environmental surfaces in the centre. In the questionnaire study, none of the foods or beverages served during the reception were significantly associated with the illness. Additional cases of gastroenteritis that occurred at the centre before and after the wedding reception supported the hypothesis of environmental transmission of norovirus. After thorough cleansing and disinfection and 1 week’s quarantine, no new cases with symptoms typical for norovirus infection were identified at the centre.

Outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by norovirus GII.4 Sydney variant after a wedding reception at a resort/activity centre, Finland, August 2012

Epidemiology and Infection

A. POLKOWSKA, M. RÖNNQVIST, O. LEPISTÖ, M. ROIVAINEN, L. MAUNULA, S. HUUSKO, S. TOIKKANEN, and R. RIMHANEN-FINNE

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9303813&utm_source=Issue_Alert&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=HYG&utm_reader=feedly

unlucky honeymoon at the Melia Caribe Tropical Hotel in Bavaro, the Dominican Republic

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Douglas Powell

Keeley and Terry Ford couldn’t wait to experience their dream honeymoon in the idyllic Caribbean islands.

The pair forked out $15,000 for their luxurious wedding and honeymoon package in Bavaro in the Dominican Republic. But unfortunately, they ended up with some rather unwanted extras, and have now won a $90,000 payout from the travel company they booked with.

Keeley, 45, said she fell violently ill just hours after saying her vows and was stuck in bed for days. It wasn’t long before new husband Terry became sick too, along with five other members of their wedding party, the Birmingham Mail reported.

That included Keeley’s two children, who were 11 and 15 at the time, and her parents.

She suspects that food poisoning was to blame, claiming that almost raw food was served at the four-star Melia Caribe Tropical Hotel where they were staying.

Travel company Thomas Cook has now paid out $90,000 to the couple over the incident, which occurred in 2009, according to the couple’s law firm Irwin Mitchell.

A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: “Thomas Cook closely audits all of the hotels to which it operates to ensure that only the very highest health and hygiene standards are in place. We would like to assure customers that incidents of this type are rare, as we work closely with all our hotel partners to ensure that only the very highest hygiene standards are maintained.”

Nautical Norovirus disaster

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Douglas Powell

I had a dream about Norovirus last night.

Me and Chapman were driving to a wedding with 4 students in my old Nissan van.

Once at the wedding, I was the first to projectile vomit. People thought I was car sick.

Then Chapman barfed.

Then a couple of guests.

Soon there were 15 sick people, but the couple-to-be wanted to go ahead with the wedding.

They asked if they could put all the sick people in one of the hotel rooms and the other 185 could go to the wedding.

Next, me, Chapman, Pete Snyder and Don Schaffner were sitting at a table, discussing options.

We concluded all the food had to go, people who were well enough should go home, and the entire place cleaned. The wedding was off.

The bride went nuts, especially when I tossed the wedding cake.

By this time there were 40 people sick.

Then the dream ends, and I went to the bathroom.

What would you recommend if such a situation were real?

3 dead, 13 hospitalized in China food poisoning

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Douglas Powell

A suspected food poisoning in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province has killed three people and left 13 more hospitalized, local authorities said late Monday.

A total of 16 people sought medical treatment on Sunday and Monday after having a wedding banquet in a village in the city of Jixi on Saturday, the city government said in a statement.

Three died after medical treatment failed and one was still not out of danger. The rest 12 are in critical condition.

Health authorities have sealed samples of food and drinks at the banquet for tests and the investigation results are to be released.

8 sick linked to fancy Perth restaurant; wedding food poisoning probe

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Douglas Powell

“The wedding went really well . . . but the aftermath was terrible.”

That’s what one guest at a wedding reception told The West after a bride and seven wedding guests – including the wife of the State’s top health adviser – became ill after a wedding reception at one of Perth’s most exclusive restaurants.

Former Princess Margaret Hospital director of emergency Gary Geelhoed, who took over as WA’s chief medical officer this month, told The West Australian several people became ill after the wedding at Fraser’s restaurant in Kings Park on Saturday.

Dr Geelhoed said the Health Department was investigating.

“I’m not sure what happened – certainly people got sick, but whether it’s related (to the food) or not, I’m not sure,” he said.

Fraser’s chef and co-owner Chris Taylor said the restaurant was co-operating with the Health Department’s investigation and was aware of the claims of food poisoning.

It is understood more than 100 people were at the event.

Fraser’s spokeswoman Samantha White said the restaurant had been contacted by the wedding party and had “gone through a number of processes” after the allegations were raised.

Wedding guests ill in Wisconsin

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Douglas Powell

The Franklin Health Department is investigating an illness that appears connected to a wedding last weekend. The bride’s parents told Today’s TMJ4 they feel terrible that the wedding guests became so ill, including the bride and groom.

At least 20 people came down with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, according to the health department. The bride’s parents said they believe the number of victims may actually be much higher than 20.

The health department said it was unclear whether the illness came from food consumed at the wedding reception or some other location guests visited over the course of the weekend. The Franklin Health Officer said the department will contact guests who may have come in contact with the illness.

One health official, who is not connected to this investigation, questioned whether the illness could be norovirus which has recently spiked in northern Illinois.

Too much barfing with weddings

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Amy and I got married at city hall in 2006.

We had dinner with a couple of friends.

Then Amy barfed.

It wasn’t the food, it wasn’t the realization she had married me, it was thought to be her gall bladder.

Six people at a Roseville (California) wedding on the weekend ended up in the hospital, part of about 30 people who were sickened by food after the nuptials.

1 dead, 8 sick from salmonella after UK wedding

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Nothing says, “I do” like wedding guests barfing and in this case, tragically, one dying after consuming the post-nuptial meal.

Rene Kwartz, 82, was one of four guests who needed hospital treatment after a meal at a hotel in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

Three of those taken to hospital recovered and were discharged but Mrs Kwartz died last week.

Lawyers representing the guests at the wedding of Stephen Wicks and Jennifer Harris on August 8 are taking legal action against the outside caterers to the function.

57 people barfing after weddings at Illinois banquet hall

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Chicago Breaking News reports that at least four people were hospitalized and 53 others reported illnesses after attending wedding parties this month at a banquet hall in south suburban Mokena, Illinois, leading Will County health officials to try to determine the cause.

The Health Department is looking for others who may have gotten sick after attending weddings at Di Nolfo’s Banquet Inn and Catering on July 16 and 17.

Health officials believe the source of the illness is norovirus. Health officials collected and tested food from Di Nolfo’s, 9425 W. 191st Street, but did not find any significant violations. None of Di Nolfo’s employees have reported illnesses, officials said.

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