The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment has announced that they are looking into a second outbreak of Norovirus linked to restaurants in the Overland Park area. Ten more people have been reported as sick in the Kansas City suburb, but the outbreak is not associated with the New Theatre Restaurant, where more than 600 were sickened with Norovirus in mid-January. Instead, this outbreak is believed to be associated with a Buffalo Wild Wings location. These cases of illness began to be reported on January 29. Included in the outbreak are several students from the Shawnee Mission School District.
Norovirus poisoning is the most common form of gastrointestinal distress in the United States. Once someone is infected by the pathogen symptoms will appear between 12 and 48 hours later. Norovirus infections produce symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting over the course of a few days. Many people recover without treatment. Because Norovirus is an extremely contagious foodborne illness, health officials recommend that those sickened by the pathogen avoid going to school and work. Proper hand washing is also recommended to reduce the chance of infection.
