1 person hospitalized, 550 people symptomatic after illness outbreak at P.E.I. shellfish festival

A basket of oysters is ready for packaging and delivery in this file photo. (Source: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.

The Chief Public Health Office launched an investigation into the possible outbreak at the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival between Sept. 19 and 22.

Four people went to emergency departments and one person was hospitalized, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness.

The health office identified norovirus from stool samples from symptomatic people who ate at the festival. Norovirus transmits by:

• eating food or drinking liquids contaminated by the virus
• having direct contact with someone infected with the virus, such as sharing food or utensils with them
• touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus and then putting your fingers in your mouth

Festival attendee Holly Noël and her 24-year-old son got sick at the event, but now feel much better.

“But boy, there was three days there were it was not good,” said Noël.

Her symptoms were vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, chills and intense fatigue.

“I couldn’t even get out of bed for a couple of days,” she said.

The health-care professional isn’t surprised the province has identified norovirus as the cause of illness because she was already aware of what the symptoms are like.

“That was definitely a suspect, so I’m glad that the Department of Health did their due diligence and got to the bottom of it,” said Noël.

Noël would like to see precautions taken against a wide-spread illness occurring at the festival again.

“I really enjoyed the shellfish festival. We had a wonderful time and I think it’s really important that the city continue to promote festivals like that. I think it’s important to tourism so I certainly wouldn’t like to see that industry impacted from it. But it’s also people’s health and safety, that’s very important as well and there should be definitely better precautions taken in the future,” said Noël.

The health office noted the festival is a large event with a “significant volume of high-risk foods.” It made six recommendations for future events, including:

• more health inspections before and during the festival
• maintaining samples of prepared foods in cold storage for at least 48 hours after the event ends
• enhancing food preparation area and common touch surface sanitation to prevent cross-contamination
• working with a sanitation company to ensure washroom common touch surfaces are decontaminated daily
• developing a policy excluding staff and food handlers from working when they are ill and having a dedicated staff person check with workers about any possible sicknesses
• having easily visible handwashing stations at all washrooms and ensuring they are re-filled during the event

As for whether or not she would attend the festival again, Noël isn’t sure.

“I like the idea of going again. I don’t know mentally if I’ve recovered enough that I can say yes to that question,” said Noël.

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