Dozens of doctors and nurses who were in town for a conference fell ill after dining at the same Melbourne venue where wedding guests came down with gastro.
The Australian and New Zealand Burn Association (ANZBA) four-day annual conference was held at Pullman Albert Park between September 12 and 15.
Some 70 of the 280 guests developed gastrointestinal symptoms after dining at Park Melbourne, located across the road, on September 13.
The conference ended two days before a couple was to get married there, with more than 30 of their 300 guests experiencing the same symptoms.
Despite the ANZBA Facebook page thanking the “wonderful” Melbourne team, guests were struck by diarrhea and vomiting and some staff required medical attention.
Melbourne’s Park Albert Park (pictured) is under fire again after it was revealed it hosted two events in one week, leading to gastroenteritis outbreaks.
The Australian and New Zealand Burn Association’s (ANZBA) four-day annual conference was forced to go virtual for its final day after 70 attendees fell ill on the third day.
It’s unclear what exactly made people sick during the conference, but the event program guide shows that the guests dined at Park on the second evening.
Guests would have received gnocchi or lamb shoulder as a starter, chicken or salmon as a main course and chocolate tart or rice pudding for dessert, according to the herald sun.
By Thursday, participants had begun reporting severe symptoms that aligned with gastroenteritis.
Since conference attendees dined at multiple locations, it is not yet clear where the infection peak occurred.
The Pullman Melbourne Albert Park and The Park venue said they were cooperating with the Department of Health to get to the bottom of the outbreaks.
“The health and well-being of our guests is our highest priority,” said an Accor spokesperson..
“We follow industry standards to ensure all appropriate measures are in place. »
Park Melbourne venue manager Bahaa Harb told Daily Mail Australia both outbreaks were being investigated.
“Together with the Port Phillip City Health Department (and) we continue to investigate an outbreak of disease that occurred following the events at the park on Wednesday, September 13 and Saturday, September 16,” Mr. Harb.
“On Friday September 15, we received a routine health and safety site inspection from the City of Port Phillip, which revealed no issues with health and safety practices.
“We will continue to work closely with the City of Port Phillip to determine the cause of this outbreak and will keep our customers and affected parties informed of the results of the investigation.”
ANZBA conference organizers have thanked “wonderful” staff at The Park (pictured) who served them after the conference ended.
Mr Harb confirmed his venue had undergone a deep clean as a precaution and had received council approval to remain open.
A day after health inspectors gave the park the green light, the next outbreak broke out at the newlyweds’ wedding.
The couple married in front of 300 friends and family on Saturday, but on Sunday word got around that some guests had fallen ill.
On Monday, it emerged that around one in ten guests were ill – and that number continued to rise, with a one-year-old and elderly guests among the victims.
The couple are now reportedly considering taking legal action against the caterers who served them the food, as they prepare for a possible class action.
The bride and groom reportedly spent Tuesday collecting declarations from guests who had fallen ill, one guest told The Age.
They said that although the couple was considering legal action, they were not ready to speak publicly about the matter.
Guests had the choice of chicken or pork for the main course, but it’s unclear whether either dish was linked to more cases or gastro.
Victoria’s Department of Health has launched an investigation into the gastroenteritis outbreak, which does not appear to be linked to another cluster of listeria cases in the state.
Three days after Wednesday’s outbreak, and less than 24 hours after health inspectors gave them the all-clear, a wedding at the same venue saw more than 30 guests also develop gastro-related symptoms on Saturday.
Affected people reportedly experienced symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating and delirium after attending the wedding.
The Department of Health is now working with the local council to get to the bottom of what happened.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted ANZBA for comment.
Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com