Two different restaurants were profiled for South Texas’s Channel 4 New’s Food for Thought, which examines local restaurants in Texas that have committed severe health code violations. The first, a Brownsville Burger King, was in violation and subsequently shut down for having a rat infestation in the children’s play area. During the health inspection, a dead rat was caught on camera right next to the playscape. They have been cited in the past for rodent problems. In Raymondville, the Raymondville Superette was cited for 21 violations. Among them — off-temperature foods, improper hand washing, dirty equipment, rodent contamination, and roaches. The rat droppings were found near food preparation areas and live roaches were found crawling in the sink.

 

Infected food workers often cause – and spread – norovirus outbreaks, typically because they’ve touched ready-to-eat foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, with their germ-infested bare hands before serving them. Or they touch other items that have been contaminated, such as cell phones, utensils, doorknobs, etc., and spread the disease to others through this contact. Often, stool or vomit particles have caused the contamination. An individual only needs to ingest few of those particles, as few as 18 is enough, to get sick.

 

Additionally, norovirus outbreaks can occur from foods, such as oysters, fruits, and vegetables, which were contaminated at their source. It’s important to note that any raw or cooked food can get contaminated with norovirus.

 

The best way to prevent norovirus is through proper hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and warm water, then use single use towels to dry them — especially after using the restroom, and always before eating, preparing, or handling food. Noroviruses can be found in your stool even before you start feeling sick, and the virus can stay in your stool for two weeks, or more, after you feel better.