A sushi restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, is under investigation by the Wake County Public Health Department after 241 reports of illness. One of those customers, a groom, was reportedly unwell just before his wedding and filed a lawsuit.
According to the health department's press release, three instances of norovirus have been associated with Sushi Nine restaurant so far.
The highly infectious norovirus, which goes by other names including "stomach flu" or "stomach bug," is responsible for inflaming the intestines and stomach, which in turn causes vomiting and diarrhea, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People may get the disease by direct contact with an infected individual, contaminated food, or surfaces they touch.
Complaint Against Sushi Restaurant
After dining at the Sushi Nine with his family on November 29, Austin Freels said they had a series of symptoms the following day: nausea, vomiting, cramps in the stomach, aches and pains in the muscles, extreme exhaustion, headache, severe stomach pain, and dehydration. This is based on the complaint he filed on Friday, December 15, which was seen by CNN.
Freels said that his symptoms persisted and even intensified during the course of his wedding weekend. According to the complaint, he had to visit both an urgent care center and a hospital's emergency room, where he was given many bags of IV fluids.
Freels is requesting a sum in excess of $25,000 in damages, which include loss of income, medical bills, travel costs, mental anguish, and bodily discomfort, among other things.
Whether Freels had a confirmed norovirus illness is not mentioned in the complaint.
Reports of Probable Norovirus Infection
In a press release, public health authorities said that the first individual to notify them reported feeling sick after consuming food from the establishment on December 1. With that, the department received 241 complaints from customers who dined at Sushi Nine between November 28 and December 5.
Of the 241 individuals who reported feeling unwell, 170 were questioned and requested to produce stool samples, the only diagnostic tools against the virus. As per the report, just three people have provided samples, and all of them tested positive for norovirus.
The dining establishment returned after shuttering voluntarily on December 5 for extensive cleaning. As stated in the announcement, no more complaints have been received since it reopened on December 8.
According to the press release, the county is still looking into everything that may have caused the outbreak. They have not found a specific meal that could have been the culprit since everyone who got sick ate various things from the menu.
