May 20, 2024
Written by Karen Berry
Dozens of people who worked or ate at San Luis Obispo’s Luna Red Restaurant last week contracted norovirus, according to staff.
The restaurant was temporarily closed but reopened Sunday, with employees wearing gloves. The virus is highly contagious and symptoms appear immediately after contact with contaminated people, food, or surfaces. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, muscle pain, chills, abdominal pain, and fever.
Norovirus is commonly spread by sick people touching or cooking food, but it can also be spread by food ingested from contaminated water.
San Luis Obispo County Health Department staff initially told reporters to call another department because the outbreak was food-related. However, Department of Environmental Health staff said the outbreak was not food-related and they would call the department’s epidemiologist.
Epidemiologist Jesse Burmester declined to say whether the county is investigating the outbreak, but said he would ask a spokesperson to contact him.