Kansas health authorities say they are investigating what appears to be another food-borne outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in Overland Park.
The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment says at least 10 people who ate at the Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar at 105th Street fell ill, including students from the Shawnee Mission School District.
JCDHE said it began getting reports of illness on Jan. 29 from people who became ill the day before. In a statement, Lougene Marsh, director of JCDHE, said that these types of gastrointestinal illnesses were common at this time of year.
“Proper hand washing and staying home from school, work and public places, like restaurants, when you are ill are the best ways to prevent the spread of these types of illness," she said. "We encourage food service facilities and restaurants to take additional precautions to ensure the safety of their customers.”
The department says there are no confirmed cases of norovirus associated with the outbreak.
More than 600 people who attended the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park in January have fallen ill from the norovirus, according to Kansas health officials. The popular dinner theater has since hired a private contractor to clean the facility with an EPA-approved disinfectant that is safe for food establishments.
Norovirus is highly infectious and can cause diarrhea and vomiting, among other symptoms. Transmission can occur through food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces.
Dan Margolies, editor of the Heartland Health Monitor team, is based at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
