Norovirus sickened 18 at New Hampshire campaign stop

Eighteen people contracted a norovirus following a private function in November at a popular New Hampshire primary campaign stop, according to The Associated Press.

The state Department of Health and Human Services said the people who became sick had attended an event at Manchester’s Puritan Backroom conference center on Nov. 24. Officials added that one person later died, but it was not yet clear whether the death was tied to the virus outbreak.

The restaurant, owned by Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), is a frequent stop for Republican and Democratic candidates in the lead-up to the first-in-the-nation primary, although no candidates appeared to have attended the function in question, according to the AP. The department did not specify the nature of the event or whether it was political.

The Manchester Health Department has since conducted an inspection of the facility and concluded there was no ongoing risk of norovirus transmission to the public, according to the AP.