Could KS restaurant worker have spread anything by contaminating food? What we know
Weeks after police first said that food at the Hereford House restaurant in Leawood had been contaminated by a former worker, the court documents revealed some answers this week that customers were looking for, such as what type of bodily fluids were involved.
Videos posted on a website under the username of “Vandalizer” reportedly showed a worker urinating in restaurant-style food bins, pressing his penis and buttocks against food, and using his feet to touch food items, according to the affidavit.
People were asked to reach out to the Leawood police if they ate at the restaurant between March 26 and April 25 and felt sick after eating. As of Thursday, Leawood investigators said they have received 230 emails or phone calls.
It’s unfortunate that we have to talk about this, but do you know what would happen would happen to your body if you ate food contaminated by bodily fluids? Would different fluids lead to different diseases and symptoms? Here’s what we found out.
What happens if you eat contaminated food?
Some bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid, can contain viruses that can be passed on to other people, according to HealthLinkBC, a health website based in British Columbia. If you have contact with a person’s saliva and semen, you could be at risk of contracting these diseases:
HIV
Hepatitis B or hepatitis C
Other blood-borne illnesses
Other bodily fluids, such as sweat, tears, vomit or urine, may contain and pass on these viruses when blood is present in the fluid, but the risk is low, according to the health website.
If someone ate food that was contaminated with urine, like what was reported in the court documents, Carla Schwan, an assistant professor and extension food safety specialist at the University of Georgia, said it will depend on several factors, like:
The amount of urine in the food.
The health status of the individual.
If the individual was a carrier for pathogens or was sick. If that is the case, pathogens could be present in the urine.
“Generally, ingesting food contaminated with urine can increase the risk of bacterial or viral infections, especially if the urine contains pathogens,” Schwan said in an email.
Neither police nor health agencies have said if the worker in the Leawood restaurant had any sort of infection or disease.
What are common symptoms of food poisoning?
Police had been in contact with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Johnson County Health Department, which indicated that the type of illnesses that people would have experienced would have been gastric distress similar to food poisoning, including upset stomachs and other gastrointestinal issues.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning are these, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Diarrhea
Stomach pain or cramps
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
Head and muscle aches
Individuals experiencing these symptoms associated with foodborne illnesses should seek assistance from health care providers, Schwan, who earned her doctorate at Kansas State, said in an email.
“Healthcare providers will assess the symptoms and determine the appropriate diagnostic tests and treatment course based on the suspected pathogens or symptoms,” she said.
