Soon after a popular Chincoteague food event held during the weekend, dozens of attendees started reporting on social media that they had become ill with a fever and gastrointestinal symptoms after eating food at the event.

The Eastern Shore Health District says it is investigating “a cluster of illnesses” that may be related to the Chincoteague Chili and Chowder Cook Off.

The health district stated in a news release it is asking people who attended the cookoff on Sept. 30 to contact the Accomack County Health Department at 757-302-4268.

“We are investigating a cluster of illnesses that may be related to the event. Some attendees have already come forward, but we need more information,” the health district said in the release.

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The health department in a second news release Thursday said it, along with the Foodborne Disease Team from the Virginia Department of Health, are continuing to investigate the outbreak.

The department has created an online survey and is asking all attendees, whether they became ill of not, to complete the survey.

The link can be found at https://redcap.vdh.virginia.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=RPPDH7DWDF.

The survey lists 11 vendors who provided chili at the cookoff and five who provided chowder, with some of the vendors providing both types of food.

Additionally, it lists eight foods sold at the event by the fire company: chicken tenders, french fries, clam sandwiches, oyster sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and ice cream.

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company sponsors the popular annual event, which was held this year Sept. 30 at the Chincoteague carnival grounds.

The fire company said in a post on its Facebook page it is aware of the illnesses.

"We are in contact with the Accomack County Health Department and are working with them in their investigation to determine the source of the problem," the post stated, adding that the event in its 18-year history "has never experienced anything like this and rest assured we will be working diligently to make sure this never happens again."

About 2,000 people attended the 2017 event, according to Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company spokeswoman Denise Bowden.

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A Delaware woman — who said she took her husband to a hospital emergency department because of the severity of his symptoms — said in a comment on the Delmarva Daily Times Facebook page that hundreds of people had been affected.

Facebook user Ruth Ann Freer-Godfrey said her husband had been extremely ill since Saturday night, after they attended the cookoff.

He spent four hours in the emergency room receiving intravenous fluids due to dehydration, she said, adding that a culture indicated the presence of salmonella and E.coli.

"Very serious!!! People affected need to get on antibiotics. Get in touch with the Health Department to file a report to help them identify the vendor with the contaminated food," Freer-Godfrey wrote.

Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Accomack County has treated three patients for foodborne illness symptoms, Riverside spokesman Peter Glagola said Thursday.

An outgoing voicemail message for Kimberly Wright, epidemiologist for the Eastern Shore Health District, urged anyone who became ill after eating at the event to leave his or her name and number — and also to contact a doctor right away.

Wright's mailbox was full as of Thursday morning.

Food vendors at temporary events in Virginia are required to obtain a permit from the local health department, which must be posted where the public can see it, according to the Virginia Department of Health website.

Restaurants and other establishments that hold a valid, permanent VDH Food Establishment Permit do not need to obtain an additional permit as long as food served at the event is prepared in accordance with the Board of Health food regulations, according to the health department.

About 1 in 6 Americans each year becomes ill from foodborne diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of that number — totaling about 48 million people — 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 people die.

Symptoms of foodborne disease typically include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Additional symptoms may include fever, headache, malaise, muscle ache, loss of appetite, weight loss, chills and dehydration.

In addition, serious illness sometimes can follow a gastrointestinal illness, including a severe kidney condition called HUS that can happen after illness caused by E.coli infections.

In Virginia, the most frequently reported gastrointestinal diseases include bacterial infections such as salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis, and a parasitic disease called giardiasis.

The Virginia Health Department Office of Epidemiology's Division of Surveillance and Investigation monitors all outbreaks in the state.

The health department release stated the department will be able to share more information about the outbreak after it receives test results from the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services in Richmond.

"Thank you for your patience as the investigation is being conducted as quickly, efficiently and as accurately as possible," the release said.

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