Image: 2011-02-28 22:13:07
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Several reports of people becoming sick after eating at Souvlaki’s last week are a part of a regional outbreak of Norovirus.
According to Robert Parker, a Virginia Department of Health spokesman, more than 100 individuals in the district have been affected.
According to Souvlaki’s owner Mike Buchanan, the virus entered the facility last Tuesday when an employee came to work and then became sick in the women’s bathroom.
He said that employee, who was not a student, did not feel sick when she came to work.
“It was literally heartbreaking for me, I lost a good employee because of it,” Buchanan said. “It literally brings me to tears sitting here talking to you about it, because I feel like I’m going to lose business.”
Buchanan said that he was not at the restaurant when the incident occurred, but arrived quickly after and cleaned up the mess.
“I feel like I did what I thought was right,” Buchanan said. “I take pride in the food I serve here and I take pride in my customers.”
Marla Willis, an inspector from the Virginia Department of Health came that day to confirm that Norovirus had been the culprit.
Willis declined to comment on the specifics of the incident because of privacy concerns.
The following day, Souvlaki’s was closed while Buchanan and his employees cleaned the restaurant according to state standards.
“I sanitized the restaurant from top to bottom. I threw out all the food that had been prepared or open that day,” Buchanan said.
Parker said that Norovirus is a common gastrointestinal illness at this time of year, which is very contagious, especially in close living environments.
He said that the last time an outbreak occurred in the area was about four years ago near Radford.
Because students living in dorms are especially susceptible to catching the virus, an e-mail notification was sent out to warn students about the outbreak.
“When we heard that there was Norovirus circulating in the community, we sent out the notice as a preventative measure in response to the Virginia Department of Health notice,” said Ken Belcher, senior associate director of Housing Services.
Belcher said he could not say where the virus originated, but added the best way to avoid catching it is to wash your hands.
A version of this article appeared in the Mar 1 issue of the Collegiate Times.
Leave a comment 21 Comments Write a letter to the editor
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I commend Souvlaki for doing all they can to right the situation. Definitely my go to eatery in downtown Blacksburg. Chain restaurants just don't compare.
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Ditto! They have been in Blacksburg for years and have some of the best food. This could happen to any restaurant, and just think, after this they are one of the cleanest restaurants in Blacksburg!
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you mean to say the employee isn't coming back to work, thats pretty harsh.
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Probably the employee isn't coming back because she's sick, not coming back until she is well. Hope that's it anyway. Love this restuarant, they have the best salads and dressings! I will still go there, you can get this virus anywhere! Remember wash your hands for 2 minutes minimum!
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I dunno. "I lost a good employee because of it." sounds pretty permanent.
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She was FIRED?!?
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yep, she sure was
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I'm a loyal Souvlaki's customer and will continue to be so. After the clean-up, it's probably the absolutely safest place to eat in Blacksburg for a while!
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Don't let this destroy a VT landmark! Souvlaki's didn't do anything wrong and is too good to let it be replaced by a Subway or some other boring chain.
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The best way not to catch it is to wash your hands? Wrong - that is one way not to spread it, though. That employee vomited in the ladies room and since the surfaces weren't immediately disinfected, the vomitous was there to be picked up by everyone else who touched things. That virus is sticky and can aerosolize so is easily transmissible. The next restuarant employee then went into the bathroom, touched the faucet, went back into the kitchen and introduced the virus into your salad. Nice, right? And bear in mind, she would have washed her hands. So enough with the lame advice.
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Not spreading it/Not getting it. Who cares about semantics? Washing your hands is something you should be doing anyway, so as to not gross.
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Souvlaki's will still have my business. This isn't their fault. It's not like it's from bad food preperation.
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I feel that headline was very misleading with potentially serious consequences for a valuable local business. The suggestion is the restaurant abrogated sanitation or other health standards leading to illness which does not appear to be the case at all. I urge the CT and the author to take care in the future and I hope everyone will support this venerable and well managed local business. Personally, I plan to have lunch at Souvlaki Thursday and I'm looking forward to it!
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i wish they'd stop doing the employees must get your own food at the D2 salad and dessert bar. If an employee gets sick, everyone is affected.
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As a student employee at D2, I assure you that employees making salads for you, slicing cake, and adding cheese to your burrito are ridiculously unlikely to get you sick. There are a ton of safeguards in place to prevent sick employees from getting anywhere near your food. Having watched what students do waiting in line, it's a much better bet letting us serve you.
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This is a Great Place to eat with Great People running it. Please don't let this stop you from going back. This is something that could happen to any restaurant very easily. Thank you Mike for doing what it took to get everything cleaned up. Many people would of covered it up and let the virus spread more.
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I would like to add to this post. I experienced this Norovirus 2 weeks ago. I did not eat at Souvlaki nor have I eaten at Souvlaki in the past couple months. I got the virus from just being a student and being near tons of germ carriers in class! If you get this virus you will be extremely sick! I advise anyone who becomes sick (and I mean SICK) to go to the doctor. This virus is nasty and makes you feel like complete crap. The only way to defeat this virus is to sleep, drink lots of water and diluted sports drinks. Do not go to class or anywhere public! Invest in tissues too because after the vomiting you will experience a nasty cold with an annoyingly runny nose! I am posting because I do not want anyone else to get this virus. Hope this helps to take the blame away from the employee and Souvlaki!
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Public sickened by careless reporting. Where did that first employee come from? What nasty dollar bill did he/she hold. What parking meter handle did he/she turn before going to work? Where did all the sick customers go and what did they touch? Did they go to a certain S. Main Chinese Restaurant last Friday because I spent Saturday morning puking my guts out and Sunday on the can. Was it the food, the norovirus or the door handle? Where does it start, where does it end? Where is the food coming from? What did the chicken step in before it was processed with ammonia? This article stinks because it shifts the focus on blaming a single location rather than the virus itself. Why did the virus cycle back after four years? Is it partial to only Greek Food and its preparation facilities? If I get a Greek Salad at the Farm House will it be there too? Other than washing my hands (which is good, but hardly a solution) how does this virus stop and start? Come on Claire give me some news I can use!
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