61 take ill after catered function; Peel Health Department investigating

08.nov.06
Metroland - Brampton Division (Ontario)
Pam Douglas, Brampton Guardian

A Saturday tradition at seven local car dealerships has, according to this story, ended abruptly after 61 employees fell ill with possible food poisoning this weekend.
Tim Robertson, director of sales for the Brampton Auto Mall dealerships, was cited as saying the employees fell ill Sunday night and early Monday morning, and some were still at home sick yesterday. All reported nausea, the worst were violently throwing up, suffered muscles aches, chills, diarrhea, and fevers.
"On Saturdays we provide food to our employees at all seven dealerships," Robertson said in trying to determine the cause of the outbreak.
A caterer the dealership has used for the past two months brought sandwiches to the dealerships where approximately 180 work.
Those who were sick compared notes and not all ate the same things. Robertson said he had a ham sandwich while someone else who fell ill had only tuna salad.
Paul Callanan, the region's director of environmental health, was cited as saying the food is the only thing in common, and the "main lead" in the investigation being conducted by Peel Health officials.
Test results on leftover sandwiches and stool samples from employees should be in by the end of the week, so officials expect to have a better idea of the cause of the outbreak by Friday, according to Callanan.