Suspected Foodborne Illness

The Office of the Chief Health Officer is presently investigating a probable outbreak of foodborne illness associated with a Charlottetown restaurant. A total of 20 cases of diarrhea and vomiting have been reported with onset of symptoms within 24-36 hours of eating at the Churchill Arms between 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7.

There is no food left for sampling from the suspect meals and the cause of the illness among those who were ill has not yet been confirmed. However, the symptoms reported are very suggestive of the Norwalk virus which has been identified in PEI recently in the community. The illness appears to have been limited to those who ate over the two and one half hour period that one night.

An investigation is continuing into the possible cause of the illness. The restaurant has been cooperative in the investigation of the incident.

Deputy Chief Health Officer, Dr. Sweet, urges anyone who consumed a meal at Churchill Arms on April 7 and has experienced vomiting or diarrhea since that time, and who has not yet spoken to a Public Health nurse, to call 368-4970.