Probe into Casper Food Borne Illness Outbreak Continues

With help from the Wyoming Department of Epidemiology and state health officials, the Casper-Natrona County Public Health Department is continuing its investigation into an early December Norovirus outbreak in the Casper area.

Nearly 200 people self-reported Norovirus-like symptoms to the city health department last week. Public health director Robert Harrington says the investigation is nearing a definitive result.

"The call volume has dropped off from last week dramatically," Harrington said. "But, at this point, the statistics point very, very strongly toward something happening at the Golden Corral."

Of the 188 people who self-reported Norovirus-like symptoms to the health department last week, 167 said they were recent customers of Casper’s newly-opened Golden Corral restaurant.

Golden DBL Inc., the Denver-based franchisee of multiple Golden Corral restaurants in Wyoming and Colorado, reopened its Casper restaurant late Friday after extensive cleaning and approval from the city health department.

Harrington says the state health department will release its official report within the next few weeks.