Manchester Health Department Heads Investigation To Determine Cause Of Illness

The Manchester Health Department has been conducting an investigation since early Tuesday to determine what caused 30 students to fall ill after a sorority formal at The Adam's Mill, a Manchester restaurant, Saturday night.

Norovirus, which is found in fecal matter of those infected and causes vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, can be contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or liquids, touching contaminated surfaces or objects and placing the hand in the mouth or having direct contact with an infected person, according to the Center for Disease Control's Web site.

The two-part investigation being conducted focuses on both the epidemiological and food safety aspects of the problem, said Maryann Cherniak Lexius, director of the Manchester Health Department.

According to representatives from the restaurant, The Adam's Mill is still waiting on the health department to pinpoint the cause of the sickness and provide more information.

The representatives said that although press reports indicated that the illness was food-borne, it is possible that the sickness is viral in nature, meaning it is passed from person to person.

According to the representatives, the illness - which resulted in students suffering from vomiting and diarrhea - might have been passed by students touching a doorknob or railing. The establishment, which plays host to special banquets as well as weddings, was open for business as usual Thursday.

Students who attended the event, which was sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, were asked to complete a survey that would help determine what caused the illness, Lexius said. In addition, those who got sick were asked to submit stool samples.

The health department called a team of local inspectors from the food health protection program to investigate the kitchen environment, the food itself and the food handlers at the restaurant, Lexius said.

However, Lexius said the sickness was limited, meaning it was tracked to a common event among those who were infected.

There are "strong suspicions" that the incident is linked to the restaurant, said Rob Miller, director of Eastern Highlands Health District, but there are no official details or confirmation.

"The norovirus is common this time of year," Miller said, citing the winter months. Miller said no one is sure why it's more common in the winter, but it might have to do with the amount of time people spend indoors.

The virus does not have any long-term effects and should last one to two days, Miller said. However, those infected with the virus should not return to regular activity until 72 hours after symptoms have subsided, especially if the person works in the food industry, in patient care or as a babysitter or day-care provider.

"Transmission can come from an inanimate object that could still have live bacteria [on it]," Lexius said.

Miller said it's important that UConn and the health departments work to get the message out in order to prevent the illness from spreading. Contracting the virus can be prevented by frequent hand-washing.

Lexius said the health department was notified after-hours Monday night and the investigation began early Tuesday.

The Manchester Department of Health is in close contact with both UConn and the Eastern Highlands Health District, Lexius said.

Senior staff writer Brittany Dorn and staff writer Kate King contributed to this report.

Contact Kala Kachmar at Kala.Kachmar@UConn.edu.