Officials: Norovirus contributed to restaurant patron death

Norovirus was a contributing cause of the death of a person who had attended a function at a New Hampshire restaurant where a group of guests became sick, health officials said Tuesday.

Eighteen people who became ill attended the private function Nov. 24 at the Puritan Backroom conference center in Manchester, the state Department of Health and Human Services said. The person who later died was an adult from Hillsborough County. No other details were issued about the person, in accordance with federal and state privacy laws.

The state medical examiner’s office completed its final report Tuesday after conducting an autopsy last month.

The restaurant is co-owned by U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas. It has been in his family for more than a century and is a frequent stop for presidential candidates of both parties.

The manager of the Puritan Backroom said recently that the restaurant’s top priorities are promoting health and excellent food safety and that he was confident it was doing everything possible to maintain those practices.

After the outbreak, the Manchester Health Department conducted an inspection of the restaurant. Officials determined there was no ongoing norovirus risk to the public.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

Associated Press