Norovirus at Edgefield Pub

Edgefield McMenamins: Better bring a bucket...

I don't suppose I ever was much of a fan of McMenamin's Brewery. The beer is inconsistent, sometimes good, sometimes passable, but often wretched. And the food is poor.

Well, my ill disposition toward McMenamin's has been thoroughly cemented now, punctuated by a nasty illness I contracted from partaking of its cuisine at the Edgefield Pub.

My employer scheduled an off-site meeting at Edgefield for the dates of November 12 through November 14th. Coworkers arrived from various points around the globe, including India, Egypt, and the United Kingdom in order to participate. During this event, we held seminars and creative sessions to determine how to enhance our profession as writers. Many of us stayed at the Edgefield and we all partook of the cuisine throughout the three days.

Well, the night of Wednesday, November 14th, I was home, seated at my computer when, out of the blue, I thought "I think I'm going to be sick." Guess what? I was right. That night was a hellish eternity of nausea, chills, and diarrhea. I called in sick to work on the morning of the 15th and spent the entire day miserably trying to retain fluids. When I returned to work, still shaky, on the 16th, I learned that as many as 16 other people were experiencing the same symptoms. One person was even hospitalized.

Suspicion immediately fell upon the Edgefield kitchen, but the issue remained in doubt until I saw this in yesterday's Oregonian:

Luncheon attendees suffer viral outbreak

The Multnomah County Health Department has traced an outbreak of illness suffered by more than two dozen people to a virus that was apparently spread at a luncheon sponsored by the Port of Portland at a Troutdale restaurant, a department official said Monday.

Hai Ta, clinical nursing supervisor in the Multnomah County Disease Control Office, said about 30 people became ill after the Nov. 14 luncheon at McMenamins Edgefield. She said the victims suffered vomiting and diarrhea for a day or two and that all have recovered.

The cause was a Norwalk-like virus, a common virus that is most prevalent during cold, winter weather, Hai Ta said. She said the virus is most often spread by an infected food handler and that one restaurant employee suffered similar symptoms two days before the lunch.

Well, that pretty much settles it, in my mind. If you are not familiar with the Norovirus, you can read up on it here. This virus is the one that occasionally makes headlines with the outbreaks that occur on cruise ships. I can tell you that it is something you will want to avoid. And, for me, that means avoiding Edgefield and other McMenamins pubs.