9 new food illnesses likely linked to Antioch Thanksgiving dinner

Officials reported a new bout of illnesses they said were probably tied to an outbreak of severe food poisoning among attendees of a community Thanksgiving dinner in Antioch last week.

At least 17 people — including three who died — who partook of the annual feast hosted on Thanksgiving Day by a local church have fallen ill, according to Contra Costa County Health Services.

Officials couldn’t confirm whether the dinner, served to more than 800 people at the American Legion Hall on Sixth Street in Antioch, caused the illnesses, but a spokeswoman for the health department said it was “likely” and urged attendees to toss out any leftovers.

An American Legion Post is pictured on W. 6th St. in Antioch, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Authorities are investigating whether a Thanksgiving dinner held at the rental hall lead to three deaths and multiple hospitalizations from apparent food poisoning. less An American Legion Post is pictured on W. 6th St. in Antioch, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Authorities are investigating whether a Thanksgiving dinner held at the rental hall lead to three deaths and ... more Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close 9 new food illnesses likely linked to Antioch Thanksgiving dinner 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

Some of the sick ate leftovers brought home by relatives, said Dr. Louise McNitt, deputy health officer for Contra Costa County.

Investigators were testing those who reported symptoms — including an additional nine individuals identified Tuesday.

Only one person remained hospitalized Tuesday evening, McNitt said.

The Contra Costa County coroner’s office declined to identify the three dead, pending notification of their families.

The eight who originally were hospitalized with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating the dinner were all residents of the same living facility, prompting a leader from the event’s host, Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood, to urge caution regarding the cause.

Phil Hill, executive pastor at the church, said “we are one possibility” of the cause of the outbreak, emphasizing that no explanation had been confirmed by officials.

But the new reports included people from teenagers to the elderly who lived in different locations from those linked to the first round of the outbreak.

McNitt said “it’s looking more and more like it’s the food from the luncheon” that led to the illnesses.

Jim Carrillo, 69, said his 41-year-old son, Jim Carrillo Jr., became “severely, violently sick” after eating at the dinner and was still recovering Tuesday at Sutter Delta Medical Center.

The hospital is running lab work on bacteria, Carrillo said, but that could take at least two weeks, if not longer. Even then, investigators may never determine the cause, McNitt said.

“There’s really no reason for this to happen, but it did,” Carrillo said.

Sarah Ravani and Michael Bodley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @sarravani @michael_bodley