At least 70
people attending a national conference in a city in Texas became ill with
what appeared to be food poisoning. Three hospitals in the area treated
and released 48 attendees who complained of nausea and vomiting; others
with similar symptoms were hospitalized overnight. A health official noted
that all of the patients had eaten brunch or lunch at the same hotel.
The
hotel’s lunch menu included roast chicken, roast beef, and a vegetable
pasta dish. Because some of the people who became ill were vegetarian,
there was particular interest in determining whether the pasta dish might
be contaminated. At the time of the report, health officials were still
looking for the source of the outbreak. The hotel was cooperating in the
investigation and had voluntarily halted food service for the time being.
