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At least two diagnosed with norovirus after Round Rock baseball banquet

According to the Williamson County Health Department, half of the people who ate at the catered event complained of sickness.

ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Two stool samples from attendees of a Round Rock High School baseball banquet have returned positive for norovirus after dozens fell ill after eating at the catered event on April 30, a representative with the Williamson County and Cities Health District confirmed Monday.

Mexican restaurant La Margarita in Round Rock catered the event, which was held at The Milestone events venue in Georgetown. The health district has since cleared the venue from its investigation.

About 220 people attended the banquet, and about 110 of them complained of sickness in the following days, health district spokesperson John Teel said. The illnesses came days before the baseball team was expected to begin playoffs, coach John Carter told KVUE.

"About 110 of those developed gastrointestinal illness consistent with a norovirus-like illness," he said.

The district is now focused on determining how they got sick.

"Since it's self-serve by the 220 parents and students of Round Rock High School that had to touch all of those utensils, they self-served their fajitas, we wondered if potentially that was disease transmission," Teel said.

But that's likely not the case.

"The reason I don't personally believe that has a high chance of being valid now is the apparent disease transmission back at the restaurant on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," he said.

Several other people who dined out at La Margarita on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have had symptoms of norovirus. Teel said that the people who have complained of being sick on Monday and Tuesday came from people who sat at tables of four or less. On Wednesday, it was a group of 10, with four complaining of being sick.

"We don't know for certain that those illnesses were caused by norovirus from that restaurant. But that's compelling evidence that something was going on at the restaurant," Teel said.

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The general manager of La Margarita told KVUE last week that the health district came by Wednesday, inspected the restaurant, and found no major violations.The restaurant closed as a precaution on Thursday for a deep clean and reopened at noon on Friday.

"I would not have handed them their permit back or let them reopen last Friday at noon if I didn't feel it was safe to eat," Teel said. "In fact, I will likely dine there this week if my schedule allows. I have no worries about La Margarita, me dining there or my family dining there this week."

And neither does Pflugerville resident Anna Ramos, who often makes the drive to Round Rock just to eat at La Margarita.

"The customer service is awesome," she said. "I like the restaurant. It's nice and clean. I like it. The food is great."

She told KVUE despite concerns from the public, she'll continue eating there.

"I'm going to support them. I'm going to encourage my friends to come. I didn't get sick. I'm here. Things happen anywhere. And this is a place that I recommend," she said.

Teel said the district is still waiting to hear back from two other patients who said they would give stool samples.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes inflammation of the stomach, intestines or both. The most common symptoms include diarrhea, throwing up, nausea, stomach pain, fever, headache and body aches.

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