Karlos
17/05/2006, 5:20 PM
Just an update on this - a bit of closure on the issue and an end to the idea of foul play at work. :)
from bbc.co.uk
The bug which affected Tottenham before their game at West Ham was not caused by food poisoning at their hotel, the Health Protection Agency has ruled.
The players ate at the London Marriott hotel in West India Quay before they lost 2-1 at Upton Park on 7 May.
An investigation into the hotel's food preparation, storage and cooking found it to be satisfactory.
Tests on the players showed one had a form of gastroenteritis which may have spread to the other players affected.
Tottenham boss Martin Jol said his players were vomiting in the dressing room before the defeat which cost them fourth place in the Premiership and meant they missed out on a place in the Champions League.
The tests at the hotel were the responsibility of a joint team involving the Health Protection Agency and the Environmental inspectors at Tower Hamlets council.
They took food from the hotel kitchen linked to that eaten by the group and found it to be completely negative.
Further samples taken from the hotel's waste bins identified a range of bacteria, as would be expected, but did not identify organisms which could have caused the outbreak.
Colin Perrins, head of Tower Hamlets Trading Standards and Environmental Health said: "None of the results or findings indicated that food poisoning was the cause.
"The likely cause of illness suffered by the Tottenham Hotspur staff and players was from a viral source."
Dr Alex Mellanby, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the Health Protection Agency added: "The only positive finding in this investigation identifies norovirus, a form of viral gastroenteritis, as the cause of the outbreak.
"We do not believe that this outbreak was caused by food poisoning from the hotel."
A statement from the London Marriott hotel said: "Our management is very pleased that the hotel has been fully cleared of allegations of food poisoning.
"The West India Quay Marriott co-operated fully with the Health Protection Agency, Tower Hamlets Environmental Health Department and the police during the investigations, and would like to thank the personnel at these agencies for their professionalism and support."
from bbc.co.uk
The bug which affected Tottenham before their game at West Ham was not caused by food poisoning at their hotel, the Health Protection Agency has ruled.
The players ate at the London Marriott hotel in West India Quay before they lost 2-1 at Upton Park on 7 May.
An investigation into the hotel's food preparation, storage and cooking found it to be satisfactory.
Tests on the players showed one had a form of gastroenteritis which may have spread to the other players affected.
Tottenham boss Martin Jol said his players were vomiting in the dressing room before the defeat which cost them fourth place in the Premiership and meant they missed out on a place in the Champions League.
The tests at the hotel were the responsibility of a joint team involving the Health Protection Agency and the Environmental inspectors at Tower Hamlets council.
They took food from the hotel kitchen linked to that eaten by the group and found it to be completely negative.
Further samples taken from the hotel's waste bins identified a range of bacteria, as would be expected, but did not identify organisms which could have caused the outbreak.
Colin Perrins, head of Tower Hamlets Trading Standards and Environmental Health said: "None of the results or findings indicated that food poisoning was the cause.
"The likely cause of illness suffered by the Tottenham Hotspur staff and players was from a viral source."
Dr Alex Mellanby, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the Health Protection Agency added: "The only positive finding in this investigation identifies norovirus, a form of viral gastroenteritis, as the cause of the outbreak.
"We do not believe that this outbreak was caused by food poisoning from the hotel."
A statement from the London Marriott hotel said: "Our management is very pleased that the hotel has been fully cleared of allegations of food poisoning.
"The West India Quay Marriott co-operated fully with the Health Protection Agency, Tower Hamlets Environmental Health Department and the police during the investigations, and would like to thank the personnel at these agencies for their professionalism and support."