A couple recent outbreaks points to the importance of adequate food safety training and practices in restaurants. In late 2022, more than 300 people were sickened with Norovirus that came from an infected restaurant employee. Another investigation traced a Campylobacter outbreak to a restaurant in Kansas. Shigella outbreaks were also linked to restaurants in Seattle and Texas. While transmission of Campylobacter is typically linked to improper cooking practices (such as inadequate cooking temperatures or cross-contamination), transmission of Shigella and Norovirus is linked to improper sanitation practices as these human pathogens do not colonize animals. These outbreaks point to the importance of training workers in safe food handling as well as the importance of following the restaurant’s HAACP plan.
Image source: Rick Dikeman, CC-SA 3.0
