Food poisoning at Boys' and Girls' Club proves false

Justin Lofton Staff Writer

Ada June 09, 2009 01:43 pm

— Last week, about 10 to 12 children left the Ada Boys’ and Girls’ Club sick, director Brian Ford said. Following this incident, a rumor spread that the cause of the sickness was food poisoning. This is not true, Ford said.
“That was just a rumor,” he said. “There was some kind of virus going around. I had parents who were sick, too.”
Following the initial outbreak and the start of the rumors, Ford contacted Ada Public Schools, who supplies Ada Boys’ and Girls’ Club with food, Ford said.
“Our food products that we get, we get from the school. I talked with them and they’ve not had any issues, either,” he said. “When it (the rumor) was brought to me, that was the first place I called.”
Pontotoc County Health Department officials were unaware of the rumor and confirmed that no cases of food poisoning have been brought to their attention.
“I’ve contacted the state health department epidemiologist and they are unaware of any reported cases of food-borne illness from Pontotoc County last week involving multiple individuals,” Pontotoc County Health Department director Michael Echelle said. “We certainly have not received any reports and I contacted Valley View hospital. The lab was unaware of anything.”