East Valley news briefs
May 10, 2005

MESA – An investigation continues into suspected food poisoning at a Mesa restaurant that was closed for a weekend but reopened after a thorough cleaning.

Village Inn at Power Road and East Main Street, closed a week ago so inspectors from the Maricopa County Department of Environmental Services could test for Norovirus. The restaurant reopened May 2.

Emily Poland, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, said 22 customers and four employees were tested for exposure to the virus, but results are pending.

The virus, formerly known as Norwalk virus, is transmitted by touching contaminated people or surfaces and touching the mouth, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Poland said the virus is so common that it’s not something the health department monitors on a regular basis. No deaths have been attributed to the virus in the past five years, she said.

If you think you might have been a victim, contact Village Inn, 1-800-328-7761.