Dozen ill from Dunkin Donuts, Health Dept. investigating

UNION COUNTY — Health officials say a local Dunkin' Donuts is at the center of at least a dozen illnesses. Officials with Union County's health department told Eyewitness News the business on West Roosevelt Boulevard is allowed to stay open because it has been cooperating and because health officials are visiting the restaurant daily. No customers have reported getting sick from the restaurant, according to health officials.
 
"We first found out about it on the 18th; we got an anonymous phone call that many of the employees at the Dunkin' Donuts were ill," Phillip Tarte, division director for public health, said.
 
Officials followed up on that tip and found that six employees were sick and six of their family members had a stomach bug as well.
 
"It can be serious especially for those who are immunocompromised already," Tarte said.
 
Health officials are making sure there are no customers with symptoms. So far there have been no reports of anyone eating at the restaurant and then becoming sick.
 
Tests are being done at the state level to determine what caused the illnesses, what the microorganism is. And health officials expect results early next week.  In the meantime, they've isolated sick employees, forcing them to stay home.
 
Dunkin' Donuts, at the corporate level, had this to say:
 
"The health and safety of our customers and crew members are a top priority at Dunkin' Donuts.  We take the Union County Department of Human Services Division of Public Health assessment very seriously. We have been in touch with the franchise owner of the Monroe restaurant and we have also sent a certified manager to inspect the location to ensure that all appropriate Dunkin' Donuts food safety guidelines are being followed."

WSOC