On Monday, 46 coworkers shared a meal prepared at home by one of their own in Maryland. The meal sent the employees to the hospital.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The meal in question was a noodle dish. Symptoms of the poisoning emerged around an hour after consumption, according to NBC affiliate WBAL of Baltimore.
Howard County Fire & Rescue responded to the workplace at 3:45 pm. None were in critical condition and recovered fine after their hospital visit.
The Maryland Health Department stated on X that they are "not currently aware of any risk of further illnesses connected to this incident." This case of food poisoning was unique to the noodle dish and not a cause of concern for anyone else that didn't eat the food.
There have been many cases of outbreaks of food illness recently, so any remaining apprehension is understandable.
One Meal Hospitalises 46 People Due To Food Poisoning
The Howard County Health Department and the Maryland Department of Health are working together to investigate the cause of the illness and contamination. It is not currently believed that this was an intentional poisoning.
The department told the outlet, "Preliminary indications are that the illness was related to outside food prepared by an employee and shared with others at the facility."
The departments are investigating what they consumed. They are asking consumers of the food questions to identify clues. Dr Clifford Mitchel told NBC News, "If we can get samples of the food themselves... and test it in our laboratories... [we can] identify the causal agents or agent."
It will take time to determine what the illness was, however, according to the Maryland Health Department.
The incident occurred at NAFCO Wholesale Seafood Distributors. An employee brought the food in from outside. Stanley Pearlman Enterprises, NAFCO's parent company, issued a statement further emphasizing their rigorous safety protocols to remove themselves from the situation.
It's likely that the worker who prepared the food didn't follow complete safety guidelines, or was unaware of a contamination.
