There were 39 suspected cases of people catching a foodborne illness after attending a YoungLife banquet on Oct. 12 at Willow Creek School, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

“Foodborne is year-round, although this is the time of year when we see an increase in norovirus, so that’s something to be mindful of,” said Doug Schultz, information officer for MDH.

 Norovirus, known as the winter vomiting bug in the UK, is the leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer for MDH Pam Talley said, “We don’t have a lab confirmation of the norovirus,” because of the 39 people who “met the case definition based on the timing and their symptoms” four agreed to send in a stool sample, but did not follow through.

“It was most likely norovirus,” Schultz said. “Based on symptoms and durations and the fact that it’s during norovirus season, it’s highly likely that it was norovirus.”