Norovirus cases linked to food from Mama C’s Donuts in Maumee have climbed in Lucas County to 266, local health officials announced Thursday afternoon.
The restaurant is cooperating with officials and a cleaning crew remains inside the building on Conant Street on Thursday. Toledo-Lucas County Health Department officials said during a news conference the cases are linked to food eaten at the restaurant between Friday and Tuesday.
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Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said Thursday the restaurant hired a professional cleaning company that will use a disinfectant for norovirus. Cleaning should be complete sometime Friday, he said. Restaurant owners voluntarily closed Tuesday and has not yet reopened.
Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, and body aches.
VIDEO: Eric Zgodzinski discusses norovirus cases in Maumee
The rate of new cases is slowing down, Mr. Zgodzinski said.
"The issue comes back to when the product stopped being sold and consumed, we're expecting that to be probably Tuesday,” he said. Then the concern switches to secondary cases, where the virus is spread to those who didn’t eat the food become sick. He added he doesn’t know of any identified secondary cases, but the health department continues to monitor the situation.
“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,” he said.
Mr. Zgodzinski said the department put out a statewide alert so other health departments are aware of the situation.
Wood County officials said they are investigating if about a dozen norovirus cases were caused by doughnuts provided to businesses there by Mama C’s.
First Published August 10, 2017, 4:10 p.m.