Yesterday, along with Gary Newland, a Chicago-area personal injury lawyer, we filed suit on behalf of Anita Fowler for a foodpoisoning illness that she developed after eating at a wedding reception held at Di Nolfo's banquet hall in Mokena, Illinois. Will County health officials are investigating a number of illnesses (reports of more than 50 people sickened) that are apparently linked to the outbreak. At least one person has tested positive for norovirus, which would seem to fit under the circumstances of this large outbreak. Multiple people required hospitalization for treatment of their illnesses.
Norovirus;
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that noroviruses cause 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis annually, making noroviruses the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the United States (CDC, 2006; Fankhauser, et al., 2002; Mead, et al., 1999). Of viruses, only the common cold is reported more often than viral gastroenteritis (norovirus) (Benson & Merano, 1998).
Nature has created an ingenious bug in norovirus. The round blue ball structure of norovirus is actually a protein surrounding the virus’s genetic material. The virus attaches to the outside of cells lining the intestine, and then transfers its genetic material into those cells. Once the genetic material has been transferred, norovirus reproduces, finally killing the human cells and releasing new copies of itself that attach to more cells of the intestine’s lining.
Transmission of Norovirus:
Noroviruses are transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route, and fewer than 100 norovirus particles are said to be needed to cause infection (MMWR, 2001, June 1).
Transmission occurs either person-to-person or through contamination of food or water. Foodborne norovirus transmission can occur when food is contaminated by an infected food handler (Caceres, et al., 1998; MMWR, 2001, June 1).
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