At least 40 Coachella shuttle drivers get food poisoning after meal; cause still unknown - CBS News

Health officials are still trying to determine how at least 40 shuttle bus drivers for the Coachella music festival came down with food poisoning following a meal earlier this week.

The Riverside University Health System (RUHS) reported Tuesday that more than 40 employees for a shuttle bus company contracted food poisoning early Monday morning after eating a catered dinner that was provided by the company.

The patients were taken to three hospitals in the Coachella Valley with symptoms including stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea.

The CAL Fire/Riverside County Fire Department reported that the caterer was unaffiliated with the festival.

Riverside County Public Health is still trying to pinpoint the cause of the food poisoning and find out exactly how many people were sickened.

"This could involve hundreds of interviews, but it is important to gather as much information as possible so that we can determine what happened and try to prevent it from happening again," Kim Saruwatari, director of Riverside County Public Health, said in a statement.

Riverside County health officials have notified healthcare agencies across Southern California since most of the drivers are believed to be from outside Riverside County.

"Many of those who got sick live outside Riverside County and may have sought medical care from a hospital or medical provider in another jurisdiction," RUHS said in a news release. 

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