The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced this week that they were investigating a suspected norovirus outbreak. As of Friday, health officials received reports from 25 people who say they got ill after eating at Foley’s on the Green restaurant between April 21-23.

The customers say they got sick after they ate at the food establishment between April 21-23. They experienced symptoms, which include vomiting and diarrhea, 32-44 hours after eating. Their symptoms lasted about a day. The ill customers reported eating a variety of food items. Norovirus is suspected to be the pathogen based on the symptoms.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

The restaurant was closed Thursday to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. In addition, food items were discarded that could make customers sick and other actions were taken.

Foley’s on the Green reopened for business Friday afternoon around 1:30. The source of the outbreak remains under investigation.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that often goes by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.

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.