A possible outbreak of food poisoning earlier this month sickened several people and hospitalized two in Mt. Vernon, IL, according to a news report published Tuesday. The sicknesses occurred around April 6, but additional details were sketchy. One victim reportedly told local media outlets that he had become ill after attending a brunch at the Holiday Inn, where all the food was prepared by a local restaurant. Officials with the Jefferson County Health Department in Mt. Vernon said that they began receiving reports of illness on April 9. The department’s director of nursing, Becky Brooks, told the press that about 22 people were part of the investigation, including some who had not become ill. “We have various names we’re investigating. A lot of the investigations have led to a dead end, but we have to pursue everything,” Brooks said. Test results had not yet been received, she added. The investigation was complicated by the fact that, by the time local health officials heard about the problem, food items that may have been the source were no longer available.
