Stomach virus likely caused Olive Garden illnesses

Source | Reuters

A contagious stomach virus is likely to blame for sickening about 370 people who ate at an an Indianapolis Olive Garden restaurant last week, a county health official said on Monday.

Stool tests of three Olive Garden employees and one customer tested positive for norovirus, according to Marion County Health Department spokesman John Althardt.

Norovirus is a gastrointestinal illness that causes symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. Norovirus is prevalent in hospitals, nursing homes, cruise ships and other semi-enclosed environments.

Olive Garden is a unit of Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI.N: Quote, Profile , Research) The affected restaurant was closed on Friday, and Althardt said the health department had approved its reopening on Monday.