Norovirus Sickens 200 People After Eating Mexican At Margarita's Restaurant In Michigan

Mexican Restaurant Sickens 200 With Norovirus

A Mexican restaurant in Michigan's Ottawa County is the source of at least 200 Norovirus infections last week.

Margarita's Restaurant in Holland, Mich. voluntarily closed after the discovery by Ottawa County Health Department officials, which began its investigation last Thursday.

Teenage patron Lauren Mast shared her story with MLive and her order, chicken and vegetable fajitas. She's unsure where she caught the virus:

"The food tasted really good - I didn’t think anything was wrong with the food," Mast said. ...

"I'm not mad about it. I don't blame it on them," she said of the restaurant. "They probably just forgot to wash their hands or something."

Local ABC affiliate WZZM 13 spoke with owner Alonzo Salinas, who said the restaurant remained closed last weekend for a thorough cleaning:

"It's very emotionally draining just because we're a family owned, family operated restaurant that has worked really hard at gaining the respect of our community," said owner Alonzo Salinas. "My hopes would be that we could still continue to maintain that integrity of being one of the best Mexican restaurants here in Holland."

Norovirus can be found in the stool and vomit of infected people, and can be passed by touching contaminated surfaces. Food Safety News explains that the infection can cause naseau, vomiting, headache, low-grade fever and chills. Symtoms usually appear about 24 to 48 hours after coming into contact with the virus, and resolve in a few days.

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