300 Now Report Illness After Eating At Indianapolis Olive Garden

Chicago Tribune ^ | 12-15-2006 | Carol Druga

[blam]

300 now report illness after eating at Indianapolis Olive Garden

By CAROL DRUGA
Associated Press Writer
Published December 15, 2006, 2:44 PM CST

INDIANAPOLIS -- More than 300 people say they became ill, and at least three have been hospitalized, after eating at an Olive Garden restaurant last weekend, health officials said Friday.

The restaurant on Indianapolis' north side was closed temporarily while health officials and the company investigate what caused customers to complain of nausea, vomiting, fever and diarrhea, a company spokesman said.

Steve Coe, a spokesman for the Orlando, Fla.-based chain of Italian restaurants, said health officials are focusing on an employee who had flu-like symptoms similar to those patrons complained of after eating there.

[Tenacious 1]

This is pretty Sh@#%y.

That Nora Virus is a real pain in the A#%.

[TheCrusader]

sniff, sniff

sniff, sniff

I smell a class action suit

[xcamel]

...so much for the "sneeze guard"

[al baby]

Hi Bill I hate the olive garden the food sucks lemons anyways

[operation clinton cleanup]

Montezuma's revenge II?

[Aliska]

I remember years ago, my husband and I got a pizza and our tongues turned black! We didn't feel very ill, never thought to report it to anybody. There is one local place I avoid because twice I've gotten the same symptoms described in the article, but hesitated to blame the establishment because it could have been coincental.

It's always a shame when these outbreaks happen, not good for the business. I love their shrimp linguini al fredo when I can afford it, cobbled together a recipe of my own.

These things are to be taken seriously though. I remember as a child I was not allowed to eat eggs, tuna sandwiches and potato salad in the summertime, and so many people used to get botulism from home-canned green beans which was deadly.

One outbreak after another. I just think these things make the news more now. Many's the time I've gotten food that just didn't taste right so I just didn't eat it, some at nice places.

[Thrusher]

I wonder how many of them actually ate at the Olive Garden.

[Diogenesis]

There may be a longer list of potential microbes.

And if this is from illegal aliens or terrorists (or both)
there may be more than one microbe (Hep A perhaps?, too).

[Westlander]

Giardia has the ability to infect many mammals including the dog, cat, deer mouse, ground squirrel, chinchilla, swine, pocket mouse, ox, guinea pig, and humans.

Transmission is by the fecal-oral route. Both humans and animals may become infected either by direct fecal ingestion or by the ingestion of contaminated water. Freshly passed cysts are immediately infective. The ingestion of a mere ten or fewer Giardia cysts is enough to cause infection.

http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2002/summer/igiardiasis.shtml

Bon Apetit'

[Chi-townChief]

The food at the Olive Garden pretty much sucks - it ranks right in there with Red Lobster.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Let's "Taco-Bell" them too.

/sarcasm off

[Kurt_D]

As a former food production manager I can tell you that way too many cooks and food service employees have absolutely no idea about personal hygiene.

[Lijahsbubbe]

I'll bet it does have something to do with the lettuce.

Taco Bell, Taco Johns, Olive Garden.

It does make you wonder if this is intentional.

[gcruse]

"In the news today, a two-passenger airplane crashed into the Biloxi cemetery. So far, 137 bodies have been found, making it the worst crash in Mississippi history. Film at eleven."

[wireman]

The food at the Olive Garden pretty much sucks - it ranks right in there with Red Lobster.

They are owned by the same company. Apparently in the food business consistent mediocrity can be very profitable.

[Wuli]

When are people going to wake up!!!

Why doesn't anyone consider that Taco Bell and the Olive Garden (1)may not find the source of contamination in the food chain, (2)the food-service industry is a "growth industry" for illegal immigrants, (3)whose checking the food handlers for (a)pathogens and (b)food handlers not always wearing latex gloves, and (4)of course Taco Bell and others in their industry have no desire for close inspection of their own food handlers as the source of contamination, they would have to admit they are illegal.

Unless a food handler (1)thoroughly washes their hands (a)upon arriving at work, (b)upon moving from one workstation to the next, (c)upon returning from the restroom, (2)wears latex gloves, always (3)changes the latex gloves when moving between workstations or between tasks, then a food handler themself can arrive at work with pathogens in them or on them and spread them to work surfaces or to fellow workers - without any pathogens in the food, as it was delivered.

I eat at some fast food resturants. Whenever I see anyone near any work surface, or other worker, without latex gloves on, I call the manager. I do not even let them scoop ice into my soda container, if their hand holding the ice-scoop or the cup is not clothed in a latex glove. I quit eating at two local resturants because the managers thought my questions about the wearing of latex gloves by their food handlers was insulting.

[Jmouse007]

Their "Italian" food is inedible, on top of that they can't cook. I had to send Angel hair pasta back THREE times because they didn't cook it "Aldante" Two times it was mush and the third time it came out half cooked and hard as a rock... PUTRID. I ask you, how hard is it to rapidly boil a pound of Angel Hair for 3-4 minutes in salted water tasting it before hand to make sure it is "just right". It isn't "Rocket Science" but their "gormet, Italian chiefs could't even do that right.

My extended family and I will NEVER set foot in an Olive Garden again as long as we live. I would rather eat raw pasta straight out of the box than the swill they serve to the masses.

[Centurion2000]

bump