On Wednesday, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) has now identified two additional people who fell ill soon after eating food from a Thanksgiving charity event in Antioch.
All people who became ill developed symptoms within 24 hours of ingesting food served at the charity event and we don’t expect to see new cases.
These two newly discovered people didn’t seek medical attention and have recovered. There are now 19 total people known to have fallen ill—including three people who died—after eating food served at the Antioch American Legion auditorium, 403 West Sixth St., on Thanksgiving.
Anyone with leftover food from this event should not eat it and throw it away. Anyone who ate food from the Thanksgiving Day event and is now feeling sick should immediately contact their medical provider and also call CCHS at 925-313-6740.
Tests of biological samples from the reported cases came back negative for 21 foodborne diseases, including salmonella, E. coli and norovirus. CCHS is sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to test for other agents that are common but testing is not locally available. Results from the CDC tests may not be available for months.
Our Public Health and Environmental Health divisions continue to work in collaboration on the ongoing investigation.
Info from Tuesday’s Press Conference at 5:00 pm
(editors Note – bullet point format)
The following is comments taken during the Press Conference with the media.
- Louis McNitt, Contra Costa County Health Services
- Dr. Marilyn Underwood, Director of Environmental Health of County Health Services
McNitt’s Comments
- Currently have 17 people who began ill who attended this event and 1 is hospitalized (condition improving), 3 dead.
- This is likely a foodborne illness.
- All who were sick, have eaten food from the Thanksgiving Day Dinner and most became ill within 24-hours
- Encourage those with leftover food to throw it away.
- People are from multiple facilities
- Know so far, of people who are sick, got sick within 24-hours of consuming the food. At this point it’s a number of days after the event so don’t expect people to become ill unless they have left offers. Recommend leftovers be thrown away.
- Have not yet been able to trace the source—retail, on site, volunteers. Says it will be difficult to find the cause (food item)
- Do not have any samples of food at this time. All food at the event was donated or disposed after the event.
- Next Steps: interviewing people at the event/live at facilities, trying to get samples, going forward most important thing is food safety and washing hands—creating messages.
- Symptoms – nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
- Three people who died undergoing autopsy – police not involved at this time.
- More likely this came from foodborne illness. Single event links everyone together.
Dr. Underwood’s Comments
- Food was prepared at the facility, primary food at facility was mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, heated up creame corn and green beans—packages that were heated. Added water.
- Items brought in – Turkey’s at volunteers homes, hams, sweet potatoes.
- Pies purchased from local stores.
- Death ranges: Teens to 70’s
- Says patients came from at least 3 facilities
- Permit – Underwood says non-profits per state law can run this type of event for members and guests without a permit. Guests are not defined within State Law. In speaking with the folks who run this, that is something that will be permitted in the future.
