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Food poisoning sickened dozens Country club incident was Medford's worst in years By CHRIS BRISTOL Up to 60 people got sick two weeks ago after they dined at the Rogue Valley Country Club, health officials belatedly confirmed Monday. Convinced that a food-borne virus was to blame, Jackson County Health and Human Services Director Hank Collins described the June 13 episode as the worst outbreak of food poisoning in Medford in recent memory. "I've been here about 12 years," he said, "and I can't recall anything where this many people got sick at the same time." He defended the county's decision to withhold a public announcement of the outbreak on the grounds that it was a one-time "event'' -- unlike a Hepatitis A scare -- that was over several days before the families of victims notified health officials. "There wasn't anything we could have done," he said. "Everybody who was going to get sick was already sick." The victims -- including 40 members of a high school graduation party -- fell ill within 48 hours after brunch June 13 at the private club and golf course in suburban east Medford. Complaints generally involved diarrhea and vomiting. Collins said none of the victims required hospitalization, and most of the victims improved after three to four days. The cause of the outbreak has not been pinpointed. According to Collins, tests conducted by the state Health Division lab in Portland have ruled out a bacterial agent such as salmonella. Results of viral testing are expected within two to three weeks. "When so many people get sick like this, usually it's pretty easy to isolate the source," he said. "It definitely had to be something in the food, but we never determined what it was. "We may never find out what is was." In the meantime, the club has been given a clean bill of health, Collins said. No other cases have been reported since. The club, at 2660 Hillcrest Road, has 1,150 members. It has banquet facilities available to the public and a restaurant limited to members. About 40 of the victims were from a private graduation party of about 50 people who rented a banquet room, Collins said. The rest of the cases, about 20, dined at the restaurant. A letter the club sent to members last week inaccurately suggested that since bacteria was ruled out as the source, the problem probably stemmed from a flu-like viral strand, not the food. Club manager Hugh Graham said he cleared the letter first with county health officials. "We've done everything the health department has asked us to do," he said. "If they say there was a problem with the food, (then) there was a problem with the food." A standing offer for a free meal to anybody who got sick is restricted to club members, he said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA