What happened at Jessup? Maryland seafood poisoning incident explored amid mass hospitalizations
A large-scale food poisoning incident at a wholesale seafood distributor in Jessup, Maryland, recently sent dozens of people to the hospital. According to the reports that People Magazine obtained on October 23, on Monday, October 21, 46 adults were sent to local hospitals after falling ill at the North Atlantic Fish Company (NAFCO) Wholesale Seafood Distributors.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, October 22, the Howard County Health Department stated that it is closely collaborating with the Maryland Department of Health to investigate what caused the event. The department further added,
"Preliminary indications are that the illness is related to outside food prepared by an employee and shared with others at the facility. At this time, we are not aware of any risk of further illnesses related to this incident. As we have more information we will share."
On the other hand, NAFCO in Jessup assured ABC7 on the same day that the company's seafood was not the cause of the food poisoning. Over the weekend, one employee cooked a meal at home and served it to colleagues. Three hours after eating the food, workers started feeling ill.
Details about the Jessup food poisoning incident explored as authorities claimed the affected people are out of danger now
According to Fox 5's October 22 report, at approximately 3:45 p.m., numerous individuals at the Jessup's site were unwell at the same time. The Howard County Health Department posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday that firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to NAFCO in Jessup on Monday after receiving the report.
Due to the magnitude of the reported incident, emergency teams from Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County were also called in to assist Howard County's workers in Jessup. According to health officials, the impacted individuals were assessed and taken to nearby hospitals.
The patients were reportedly in a non-critical state after the food poisoning incident. According to ABC7 News, which cited Howard County Fire and EMS personnel, the volume of patients at Howard County General Hospital prompted the "mini disaster alert."
As per the Baltimore Banner's October 22 report, the dish that allegedly triggered the incident was "pancit," a stir-fried noodle dish from the Philippines that frequently contains pork.
As per N.Y. Post's October 24 article, NAFCO stated that workers at the seafood distributor in Jessup ate the dish in the company's parking area. A few hours later, the food caused everyone to get sick simultaneously. According to the same source, NAFCO said that an investigation is still ongoing. The company further stated,
"The investigation has preliminarily determined that an employee prepared food at his home over the weekend, ultimately serving the homemade food to fellow employees who became sick. NAFCO wishes those affected a safe and speedy recovery."
Additionally, the local health authorities in Jessup emphasized that they do not think the food sold at the wholesaler was tainted by any diseases or germs that led to the illness outbreak. As per N.Y. Post's article, Stanley Pearlman Enterprises, the parent firm of NAFCO, said in a statement,
"NAFCO operates under the highest health and safety standards in the industry. Our headquarters and facilities are regularly inspected and monitored by the relevant health authorities to ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations,".
Jessup's NAFCO also clarified that this was an isolated incident and that they have since modified their policy to forbid outside food on the property. In a Facebook post on October 22, the Howard County Health Department also stated that they are looking into the event.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Dr. Clifford Mitchell told WBAL-TV,
"If we can get samples of the food itself and test it in our laboratory, and then we will also look at specimens from individuals who have sought medical care to identify the causal agent or agents."
The People Magazine contacted NAFCO to comment but hasn't heard back yet. Meanwhile, whether investigators believe the poisoning was deliberate is unclear.