--- title: Kent County Health Department Concludes Food-Borne Illness Investigation date: 2007-12-26T23:04:00-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/kent-county-health-department-concludes-food-borne-illness-investigation" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Case News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news) / # Kent County Health Department Concludes Food-Borne Illness Investigation May 18, 2005 For additional information contact: Amy Morris, Community Relations Coordinator, 616.632.7110 (Grand Rapids, MI) –Kent County Health Department (KCHD) has concluded its investigation into a food-borne illness outbreak at the Blimpie’s Restaurant located at 1040 Leonard NW. KCHD has determined the cause of the food-borne illness to be one of the Noroviruses. Noroviruses are highly contagious and are considered the leading cause of food-borne illness in the United States. Vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping are the symptoms most commonly seen in Norovirus cases. Transmission of the viruses occur through fecal/oral routes and contact with contaminated surfaces. The majority of the individuals reporting illness did not visit health care providers and all have fully recovered. A timeline of the investigation is as follows: May 5th- Kent County Health Department was contacted by Sibley Elementary regarding a possible food-borne illness outbreak. Symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and fever. KCHD investigation begins. May 6th- Specialty Printing Services contacts KCHD to report similar food-borne illness. Both Specialty Printing Services and Sibley Elementary report consumption of sandwiches from Blimpies at 1040 Leonard NW. May 6th- KCHD Sanitarian inspects Blimpie’s at 1040 Leonard NW. Results of inspection did not indicate any immediate, direct cause of the outbreak. Records obtained during inspection indicate Bethany Christian Services also received products from Blimpie’s. Bethany Christian Services is contacted regarding outbreak. Individuals also report becoming ill. May 8th- Members of community contact KCHD to report similar illnesses associated with Blimpie’s Restaurant. May 9th- KCHD identified 125 individuals reporting similar symptoms after consuming food products from Blimpie’s. May 10th- Blimpie’s Restaurant complies with KCHD recommendation and voluntarily closes. May 16th- Test results indicate Norovirus as cause of outbreak. May 16th- Blimpie’s Restaurant cleaned and sanitized for reopening. May 17th- Blimpie’s Restaurant inspected by KCHD Sanitarian and approved for reopening. The Kent County Health Department has worked extensively with the local owner and Blimpie’s International, located in Atlanta, to provide information on proper food handling, sanitation and preparation techniques. The local owner of Blimpie’s has been cooperative throughout the investigation and has complied with all of the recommendations made by the health department. Food-borne illnesses can be highly contagious and spread rapidly. Proper hand washing can reduce the risk of illness along with proper food handling, storage and cooking techniques. Proper hand washing techniques include washing hands vigorously with soap and warm water for fifteen seconds before preparing foods, after using the restroom, after changing diapers and prior to eating. Additional information on food-borne illness, proper hand washing and other tips for preventing illness can be found at www.accesskent.com/Health/HealthDepartment/CD\_Epid/. Individuals who feel they have become sick as a result of a food-borne illness should contact the Kent County Health Department’s Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Unit at 616.632.7228. KCHD has been in the business of providing health services to the whole of Kent County since 1931. The Health Department is home to nearly 325 employees including public health nurses, sanitarians, health educators, technicians, public health administrators and the Kent County Animal Shelter. The Health Department operates five satellite clinics located in Wyoming, Kentwood, Rockford, Sheldon Complex, and the Westside of Grand Rapids. 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2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Norovirus Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/about-norwalk) What is Norovirus? When someone talks about having “the stomach flu,” they are probably describing acute-onset gastroenteritis caused by one of the noroviruses, which are members of the “calcivirus” family... ###### [Symptoms and Risks of Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-symptoms-risks) Norovirus causes a relatively short, intense illness characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. 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The role of food handlers has been documented substantially, highlighting that keeping ill food handlers out of... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)