Brooklyn: A $30,000 wedding reception at a Brooklyn hotel reportedly ended in illness after the bride, groom and dozens of guests developed vomiting, diarrhoea, chills and abdominal cramps.
Michael Ahern and his wife had hosted their wedding reception at The Box House in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on November 30, 2024. A lawsuit filed over the incident alleges that contaminated food served at the celebration caused a norovirus outbreak.
Newlyweds fall sick after their big day
Instead of spending the days after their wedding celebrating with family and friends, the couple allegedly suffered repeated bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea.
Court documents say the Aherns later tested positive for norovirus after providing stool samples to health authorities.
The illness reportedly affected more than just the newlyweds.
30 of 112 guests reportedly became ill
According to the lawsuit, 30 of the 112 people who attended the reception developed similar symptoms.
Those who became sick had reportedly eaten at least one of three foods served at the event — prosciutto, macaroni-and-cheese croquettes or a seasonal crumble dessert.
However, health investigators did not establish which particular food was responsible.
Health report finds infected employee
A New York City Department of Health investigation found that an employee at the hotel’s on-site Brooklyn Lantern restaurant had tested positive for norovirus around the time of the reported outbreak.
Investigators, however, said the employee had not prepared the dishes linked to the illnesses.
The health department ultimately said that the specific food source responsible for transmission remained undetermined.
Hotel apologises as questions remain
A spokesperson for The Box House said the hotel was sorry that guests became ill and acknowledged that the incident had taken away from what should have been a special occasion.
The hotel said staff had been retrained on cleanliness standards. It also said norovirus was circulating in New York City at the time and claimed that some food had been brought into the venue from outside.
A Brooklyn Lantern spokesperson said there had been no norovirus cases at the restaurant before or after the reported outbreak.
Why norovirus spreads so quickly
Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread through contaminated food and surfaces or close contact with an infected person.
Symptoms can include sudden vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, stomach pain, abdominal cramps, chills, fever and body aches. The illness can also cause dehydration because of fluid loss.
For the Aherns and their wedding guests, a celebration meant to mark the beginning of married life instead became a distressing experience, with the exact source of the reported outbreak still undetermined.