Food Poisoning Ruins Holiday Party in Florida
An office party in Maitland, Florida landed 25 people in hospital two hours after they consumed catered food at the gathering.
According to Reuters, a property management company threw a holiday party for 700 people in a building where food was catered. Soon after taking the food, many guests reported symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea requiring Maitland Fire Department's assistance. About 25 had to be hospitalized and 55 were treated at the scene while the rest drove themselves to emergency rooms.
"It's a pretty big outbreak to have so many people become sick in one location. It's not too often that we have so many people sick," Dain Weister of the Florida Department of Health was quoted saying by Fox News.
Local health officials collected samples from patients while the department of business and professional regulation was investigating the incident at the caterer's end.
Orlando Sentinel (OS) identified the caterer as Kitchen Divas which passed its last inspection in July with four minor and one intermediate violation. Meanwhile, those affected thing it was the food as it sickened them immediately after consuming it.
"The immediate organism that comes to mind is Staph," OS quoted Alfred Aleguas managing director of Tampa Poison Center.
Staph or Staphylococcus aureus is commonly found on people and animals but usually does not cause any illness. However sometimes toxins the bacterium produces can cause poisoning, mainly through meat and diary products. While there is no antidote, increasing fluid intake can help combat dehydration and other symptoms which resolve within a day.
