Health inspectors confident Calgary shawarma chain safe after 123 people fall ill

Alberta Health Services says 123 people fell ill from a norovirus outbreak linked to a chain of Calgary restaurants, but that inspectors have no ongoing concerns. 

"It's not out of the ordinary," said Christine Kennedy, AHS's medical officer of health for the Calgary region. "What's a little bit different with respect to this outbreak is the number of individuals who were affected."

AHS said it received the first complaint related to Jerusalem Shawarma on Dec. 6, and then received more reports from 17 different groups who ate at multiple locations from Dec. 4 until Dec. 12.

The health authority conducted 27 inspections at all restaurant locations between Dec. 7 and Dec. 18, at which point it was determined norovirus was the likely cause of the illnesses.

No closures required

Inspectors discarded food that could be affected and "implemented enhanced handwashing procedures and increased disinfection levels and frequencies," according to a statement issued on Thursday. 

The restaurants were not closed down due to the outbreak being attributed to norovirus, according to AHS.

Kennedy said norovirus is a gastro-intenstinal virus most often spread by not washing hands. 

"So that's a pretty ubiquitous virus that is circulating pretty much at all times within the population. But we see a lot more of it causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea in the winter months when people are in enclosed spaces, are shaking hands more often and not necessarily washing their hands as often," she said. 

No ongoing concerns

Kennedy said only four Jerusalem Shawarma locations were tied to the outbreak, but AHS conducted 27 inspections in total on all of the Calgary chain's 10 locations. 

She said the four locations linked to the outbreak had common ownership as well as shared staff and food sources. 

Kennedy said there were no "egregious or high level" health infractions found at Jerusalem Shawarma that would result in closure or more stringent controls being put in place. 

She said AHS is confident there's no ongoing risk at Jerusalem Shawarma. 

"These are ongoing kind of reminders for everyone in the population that if you're feeling ill not to be involved directly in the preparation of food for others, as well as to be very fastidious with respect to handwashing with soap and warm water and then appropriate drying of the hands," said Kennedy.