More than 300 people in Ohio have been sickened in an outbreak of possible norovirus linked to a doughnut shop in Maumee, according to The Blade.
Health officials with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department this week investigated numerous reports of gastrointestinal illness among individuals who'd eaten at Mama C's Donuts between Aug. 4 and Aug. 8. The restaurant has been closed since Tuesday for a professional cleaning company to disinfect the building. Cleaning is expected to end Friday.
"The issue comes back to when the product stopped being sold and consumed. We're expecting that to be probably Tuesday," Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said during a Thursday news conference, according to The Blade. "I wouldn't think we would see a ton more cases, but if we do, then we'll have to see what's going on at that point in time."
Symptoms of norovirus include stomach pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus is spread via contact with the fecal matter of infected people, which can contaminate surfaces, food and water. On average, the illness causes 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths each year, according to the CDC.
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