A government investigation has concluded that "the consumption of contaminated food" was the cause of an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea after a private function in Gunghalin nearly two weeks ago.
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More than 60 people fell ill, with some going to hospital, after the event at the Eastlake venue on Sunday, March 17.
"It is likely that the virus was spread through the consumption of contaminated food at the function," ACT Health has now concluded after laboratory analyses.
It is not identifying the function but the illness appears to have originated at a presentation evening for the Gungahlin United Football Club which was attended by parents, club officials and more than 200 of the club's younger players.
The health authority's statement said that it wasn't possible to determine definitively "how the contamination occurred".
ACT Health said there was not further risk to the public. "Recent food safety inspections of the venue demonstrate no ongoing risk to the public," the directorate said in a statement.
The number affected only included those confirmed by ACT Health. There may have been more who did not report their symptoms to the authorities.
Four people reported that they had gone to the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department for treatment. None were admitted for further in-patient treatment.
ACT Health said that the age range of those struck with the illness was between nine and 53.
The illness is usually spread by eating contaminated food or by being in contact with people who were already infected.
Everyone who was struck down had either attended the club that night, or had contact with someone who had.
At the Gungahlin United Football Club awards function, there were three one-hour sessions of presentations at the club that evening from 6.45pm onwards.
"Finger food" on platters including party pies, spinach filos and meatballs were served by the Eastlakes Gunghalin staff to players, parents and officials after each of the presentations.
The communications officer for the club was one of those struck down by the mystery illness but the club's chief executive, Neil Harlock, said in a message that "this matter is currently being managed by ACT Health and we are working within their guidance and expertise".
Viral gastroenteritis, often called "viral gastro" or "stomach flu", is a common viral infection of the stomach and bowel that results in vomiting and diarrhoea.
ACT Health said on its website that it was "usually a mild illness and can be caused by a number of different viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus".
The executive chef for the Eastlake group, Anthony Craig, said that he had provided ACT Health's investigation team with the complete digital kitchen and servery records from that evening and those of a previous evening, where the same food had been served for another event, and had been fully compliant with all information and sampling requested by the health investigation team.
"We're gutted, of course, that it was an event that was held at our club which appears to be a point of origin for this illness because these parents, these children, these people are all part of our community," he said.
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
