Illnesses reported after Delta Hotel Christmas parties, says chief public health officer

There have been 59 reports of peoplefalling illafter they attendedChristmas partiesat the Delta Hotel Saturday night, according to P.E.I.'s chief public health officer.

Dr. Heather Morrison saidthe primary symptomsarevomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

It is premature to speculate the origin of the illness. James Tingley, Delta hotel manager

She saidthere have been no hospitalizations and most people reportedfeeling better a day ortwo after the symptoms started.

Mostpeople fell illone ortwo days after the function,which included an extensive buffet, butMorrisonsaidit's not clear yet whether the illness is food-related or caused by a virus.

"Maybe there's been a virus that has been impacted in terms of the food or someone who was touching one of the serving spoons, especially in a buffet-style event," she said.

Hotel staff surveyed

Questionnaires weresent out yesterdaytostaff at the Delta who either helped prepare food or were serving that night, and to the165 people who attended.Fifty percent of the guest surveys have been returned, with 59 reporting illness, and23 reporting they did not get sick.

Morrison said three office functions were held at the Delta that night.The threeparties didn't share one buffet but all had food items in common andthe samestaff preparedthe food.

Fifty of the people who have reported being sick are with Veterans Affairs Canada.

"It's not always the easiest thingto figure out or try to pinpoint. We look at menu, we look at what food items may have been consumed bythose who are sick and those who are not sick and try to see which ones match."

Health inspectors have made two visits to the hotel to investigate cleanliness and food-handling practices.

Food samples left over from the buffet were alsocollected and have been frozen for possiblefuture testing once more information comes back from the questionnaires.

The hotel'sgeneral managerJames Tingleytold CBC News that as soon as the Deltawasnotified of the situation, staff immediately took steps to sanitize the hotel'spublic areas.

Premature to speculate

"Thehotel's parent company Marriott takes hotel hygieneand cleanliness very seriously, and has standards that either meet or exceed public health department regulations," said Tingley.

"It is premature to speculate the origin of the illness and whether or not exposure to the source took place at the hotel or somewhere else."

Morrisonagreed, addingpeople can inadvertentlytransmit viruses even before they realize they are sick.

"And so perhaps they were shaking people's hands or touching some of the food utensils and then it's transferred from person to person."

Morrisonhopes to have more to report in the next few days, notingthere have been no hospitalizations and most people have been reporting feeling better one to two days after the symptoms start.