Health Department Put To Reality Check

By Jennifer Loren, News On 6

LOCUST GROVE, OK -- The Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove remains closed after the nation's largest outbreak of a rare strain of E-coli.

314 people were sickened and one person died from the strain back in August. Now, a newspaper article questions the state health department's procedures after the outbreak and asks why there is no state mandated threshold for shutting a restaurant down.

The article in the Daily Oklahoman highlights the fact that the health department allowed the restaurant to stay open, even after they knew six out of eight sick people had eaten there.

It is true, state health department officials allowed the Country Cottage restaurant to stay open after they knew most of the identified people had eaten there.

The question is, should the state have acted more quickly and shut the restaurant down?

Here are some facts.

On August 22nd, the health department received the first reports of illness near Locust Grove.

On August 23rd, health officials determined that three out of four sick people had eaten at the Country Cottage. That day health inspectors performed an unannounced inspection on the restaurant which left them with no evidence of E-coli.

On August 24th, health officials interviewed more people who had become sick and confirmed that six out of eight people had eaten there. During these interviews, health inspectors say they were trying to rule out any other possible sources such as water or a food distributor.

But by August 25th they decided there was enough evidence to close the restaurant which voluntarily closed the next day. They say it's a scientific process that could have resulted in major financial losses for the restaurant had they acted too quickly and been wrong.

Related story:

10/4/2008  Benefit Held For E. Coli Victims