Forty-six people were hospitalized in an “outbreak of foodborne illness” earlier this week after sharing a dish at their workplace in Maryland, officials said.
THE Howard County Fire and Rescue said it responded at 3:45 p.m. Monday to the 7700 block of Chesapeake Bay Court in Jessup, about 15 miles southwest of Baltimore, to a report of several patients suffering from food poisoning “after allegedly eating the same food” .
The 46 people, all adults, were evaluated and taken to different hospitals in the region. Not all were critical, the ministry said.
The workers reportedly became ill about an hour after eating a plate of noodles, according to the NBC News affiliate. Baltimore WBAL.
The Howard County Health Department said it was working with the Maryland Department of Health to investigate the exact cause of the incident, but said the incident was unintentional.
“Preliminary indications are that the illness was linked to outside food prepared by an employee and shared with others in the facility,” the department said.
The ministry is now speaking with those affected to obtain “more precise details on the food in question”.
“At this time, we are not aware of any additional illnesses related to this incident and believe there is little risk to the community at large,” the department said.
The 46 people hospitalized were released.
The Maryland Department of Health reiterated the X he was “not currently aware of any risk of other illnesses related to this incident.”
The incident occurred at NAFCO Wholesale Seafood Distributors, WBAL reported. Stanley Pearlman Enterprises, NAFCO’s parent company, told the outlet that the food that caused the illness did not come from the facility.
“NAFCO operates under the highest health and safety standards in the industry. Our head office and facilities are regularly inspected and monitored by relevant health authorities to ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations,” the company said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
