Staff at Fat Duck had norovirus

23rd March 2009, 10:51am

The Health Protection Agency has confirmed that staff working at the Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire were suffering from the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, when the recent outbreak of illness occurred.

In a statement the agency said: "The in-depth investigation into what has caused 529 people to date to report being ill after eating at the restaurant is continuing and so far, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has detected norovirus infection in six staff and eight diners and weaknesses in how staff sickness was identified and dealt with.

"Based on staff interviews, sickness records and samples taken, it is clear that staff worked while still infectious with norovirus."

HPA guidance states that people should not work in food preparation while they have symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting to avoid the risk of passing the infection to others.

Advice given to the restaurant by the HPA and environmental health officers from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead prior to its reopening last week, included guidance on the identification and management of staff illness.

Heston Blumenthal's restaurant reopened on the 12th March fully booked.

When the Health Protection Agency's investigation is complete, a full report will be published.

Related Articles:

• 06 Dec 2011 - Study says Fat Duck norovirus outbreak was the biggest recorded
• 10 Sep 2009 - Contaminated shellfish forced Fat Duck to close
• 19 Aug 2009 - Blumenthal and Ramsay score high in Good Food Guide
• 25 Jun 2009 - Heston Blumenthal to launch first London restaurant
• 28 Nov 2008 - Little Chef gains a big chef

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Mark Ashwin

10 May 2010 at 1:40am

Staff suffering from Norovirus should not return to work until 48-72 hours AFTER symptoms have disappeared.

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