Maryland officials said 46 people were hospitalized this week for a “foodborne illness outbreak” after they shared food at their workplace in that state.
At 3:45 p.m. local time Monday, the Howard County Fire and Rescue Department responded to 7700 Chesapeake Bay Court in Jessup, about 15 miles southwest of Baltimore, for a report of several patients with food poisoning. “after supposedly eating the same food.”
The 46, all adults, were evaluated and transferred to different hospitals in the area. All were in non-critical condition, according to the department.
The workers reportedly fell ill about an hour after eating a bowl of noodles, according to WBAL, an NBC affiliate station in Baltimore.
(A deadly listeria outbreak is linked to dairy products from a Californian company)
Howard County health officials said they were working with the Maryland Department of Health to investigate the exact cause of the incident, but said it is not believed to have been intentional.
“Preliminary indications are that the illness was related to food prepared by an employee and shared with others in the establishment,” the department said.
The department is speaking with the person who prepared the food to learn “more specific details about the food in question.”
“At this time, we are not aware of any other illnesses related to this incident and believe there is little risk to the broader community,” the department said.
The 46 hospitalized have been discharged.
The Maryland Department of Health reiterated in X that “we are currently not aware of any risk of further illness related to this incident.”
The incident unfolded at NAFCO Wholesale Seafood Distributors, WBAL reported. Stanley Pearlman Enterprises, NAFCO’s parent company, said in a statement that the food that caused the illness did not come from its facilities.
“NAFCO operates under the highest health and safety standards in the industry. “Our headquarters and facilities are regularly inspected and monitored by the relevant health authorities to ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations,” the company stated.