A Salina restaurant is linked to a June food poisoning outbreak in which over 30 people became ill.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, twenty‐eight cases and five secondary cases of gastroenteritis were associated with consuming food at a wedding rehearsal dinner at Martinelli’s Little Italy on May 31st. Additionally, five others reported gastroenteritis after consuming food from the restaurant on that evening. 

Norovirus was confirmed as the causative agent among three individuals who attended the wedding rehearsal dinner and one individual who was not related to the wedding group. The symptoms, incubation time, and duration of illness reported are consistent with norovirus infection.
Although the restaurant was associated with illness, the vehicle of transmission could not be confirmed. The salad served at the wedding rehearsal dinner was statistically linked with illness; however, of the two other groups who ate food from the restaurant that evening, one consumed salad and one did not. Multiple menu items may have been contaminated with norovirus.

Norovirus is a highly contagious pathogen transmitted primarily through the fecal‐oral route. It may be spread through direct contact or through consuming fecally‐contaminated food or water. 

Complete KDHE Report:

http://www.kdheks.gov/epi/download/SA_Jun13_report.pdf