17 Cases Of Food Illness Likely Linked To Antioch Thanksgiving Meal
MARTINEZ (CBS SF) -- Health officials in Contra Costa County say the number of possible cases of illness likely linked to a Thanksgiving meal at an Antioch veteran's hall has risen to 17.
Contra Costa Health Services said Tuesday they are investigating nine additional illnesses after initially reporting eight cases a day earlier, including three fatalities.
None of those nine new cases required hospitalization, health officials said.
According to a release, investigators are in the process of collecting biological samples from the reported cases for testing at county and state public health laboratories.
More than 800 people were served food at the Thanksgiving Day event at the Antioch American Legion hall. Authorities urged anyone now feeling ill to immediately contact a doctor.
Of the eight who were first sickened, all were elderly residents of the same assisted care facility. Neither the victims nor the care facility were identified.
Among the surviving five who were initially hospitalized, four were treated and released. One person remained hospitalized as of late Tuesday.
All of the victims appear to be from at least three separate assisted living facilities, or are relatives of those residents, and all ate the meal prepared by the Golden Hills Community Church.
Autopsies on the three people who died were taking place Tuesday but county officials have yet to release their names, according to the Contra Costa County coroner's office.
Some of the food served at the meal was prepared at the American Legion Hall, some was simply heated up there and some was prepared at the private homes of church volunteers and brought to the dinner, according to
health officials.
"Our dinner in Antioch is only one of a number of possibilities that County Health is investigating," church officials said in a statement posted on the Golden Hills website Monday. "We are fully cooperating with
health officials and are praying fervently for the families who lost loved ones and for others who are sick."
County health officials are doing "a very thorough job and we are anxiously awaiting news from them," pastor Phil Hill said Tuesday.
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