Orland Park Banquet Hall Shuts Down Temporarily after Illness Outbreak

ORLAND PARK, IL — A banquet hall in Orland Park has temporarily closed to be cleaned and sanitized, after an outbreak of illness among its guests.

Orland Chateau, 14500 S. LaGrange Rd., is now saying that guests who attended events on Dec. 11 and 12 were affected by what appears to be norovirus, a highly contagious virus that includes symptoms such as violent vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and headaches.

Some guests from as early as Dec. 9 say they fell ill after their visit to the facility. One guest from a holiday party that evening said roughly 100 people in their group were sickened afterward. Cook County Department of Public Health is still investigating, but has said symptoms are consistent with the virus.

"I was laying on the bathroom floor. I was afraid to leave the bathroom because of severe, violent vomiting and other issues that entail staying in the bathroom," Palos Hills resident Bonnie Piet Ryniec told ABC-7.

Norovirus is spread quickly via contaminated food and surfaces, in addition to person-to-person contact. It is known as the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most outbreaks occur in the food service settings like restaurants. It can spread quickly in closed quarters.

There's no quick fix for norovirus; antibiotics don't help due to its viral nature. Anyone affected should drink lots of fluids to keep from being dehydrated.