Scores ill after eating at Indiana Olive Garden

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/15...den/index.html

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (CNN) -- -- About 300 people have reported becoming sick after eating at an Olive Garden restaurant in northeast Indianapolis, a spokesman for the Marion County Health Department told CNN on Friday.

The customers became ill after eating at the restaurant between Saturday and Wednesday, said John Althardt. They have reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and, in some cases, fever, and three have been hospitalized, he said.

Althardt said the health department hopes to start testing -- as early as Friday afternoon -- stool samples of the sick and leftovers that restaurant patrons took home. Results may be available in about 48 hours.

Steve Coe, director of media relations for Olive Garden, said in a written statement that the company is "working closely with the local health department ... and will temporarily close the restaurant to give the health department a better opportunity to investigate this matter that may be tied to employees that recently had flu-like symptoms."

"This is an isolated incident," he said. "There have been no related incidents reported at any other Olive Garden in the market or elsewhere."

[DrummerDeanna]

That's why I just don't eat there

Seriously though - what's with all the illness breakouts lately? Spinach, Taco Bell now Olive Garden...

[ontheEdgeof17]

A little vomit and diarrhea won't keep me away from my Olive Garden.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17

A little vomit and diarrhea won't keep me away from my Olive Garden.

Well hey - at least whatever they ate won't make 'em fat

HOrrible...I know...

I've actually never been a big Olive Garden fan...

[sara1998]

Wow. It made national news. Thank God I don't live on the north side! Seriously, I feel really bad for those people. Restaruants need to take better care of how they handle their foods.

[strandinthewind]

It is ALL about being clean, esp. habds. With the dawn of things like Purell, it should not be that difficult. But, cleaning containers and surfaces is equally as important. I remeber when I was a kid, this guy's dad would take the live crabs or crawfish he caught and dump them from a bucket into the boiling water and then put the cooked stuff back in the same container without washing it. Then, they would wonder why they got sick

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

It is ALL about being clean, esp. habds. With the dawn of things like Purell, it should not be that difficult. But, cleaning containers and surfaces is equally as important. I remeber when I was a kid, this guy's dad would take the live crabs or crawfish he caught and dump them from a bucket into the boiling water and then put the cooked stuff back in the same container without washing it. Then, they would wonder why they got sick

Right, but wasn't the Taco Bell related to the green (and white) onions, NOT from fecal matter?
Who wants to bet the Olive Garden was from onions, too?
I love Olive Garden. And onions.

[SortaSavageLike]

That's what you get for going to a chain Italian restaurant.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by SortaSavageLike

That's what you get for going to a chain Italian restaurant.

Yeah, I'm sure single restaurants only buy non-e coli green onions.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Right, but wasn't the Taco Bell related to the green (and white) onions, NOT from fecal matter?
Who wants to bet the Olive Garden was from onions, too?
I love Olive Garden. And onions.

I believe the fecal matter got on the onions somewhere like a month or so ago when the people processing the spinach were unclean.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I believe the fecal matter got on the onions somewhere like a month or so ago when the people processing the spinach were unclean.

Is that it? I never actually heard the connection of HOW the green onions got it.

[michelle2677]

Just reading this alone made me ill. I love the olive garden. Its my fav and i'll still go

[PsychCat]

I'm hearing on the news now that it wasn't the onions but actually the lettuce that was funky.
I'm still waiting for the conspiracy theories to start rolling... after the spinach scare earlier, now the lettuce, and now a place with the word "garden" in it's name.

[estranged4life]

We rarely eat out as often as we once did.

As for Olive Garden, ate there one time...Good food but a bit too pricey (Prefer Fazoli's!!!)

[DrummerDeanna]

^^

What a fitting signature for the topic at hand