Two El Toro Mexican Restaurants in the Tacoma, WA area were recently closed by local health officials due to a suspected norovirus outbreak, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
As of yesterday afternoon, 232 ill customers from the 5716 N. 26th St. in Tacoma location and four at the restaurant’s University Place location, 3820 Bridgeport Way W. have been reported. It is unclear if the outbreaks are connected.
Health officials say they continue to receive more reports and interview more customers.
The Tacoma location has since reopened and the University Place location will remain closed for at least 24 hours or until thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that often goes by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.
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The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills,headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people, the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults do.
Norovirus is spread person to person particularly in crowded, closed places. Norovirus is typically spread through contaminated food and water, touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth and close contact with someone who is vomiting or has diarrhea.
Read more on the details at the health department’s blog
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