Virus is definitely off menu in this eatery

Winnie Bagoes owner Geoff Cavell assures patrons his Christchurch restaurant has been thoroughly cleaned. Picture / Simon Baker

It is with some apprehension that I sit down to lunch at the Christchurch pizza bar linked to a debilitating stomach virus sweeping the city.

Never turn down a free lunch, I figure. But in reality, am I simply the Herald guinea pig sent to determine whether Winnie Bagoes is rid of the infamous norovirus that shut the premises down for a day?

Was I going to pay for it by suffering the same fate as a few previous patrons - in feverish misery over a toilet bowl?

A colleague reassures me that the place is likely to be one of the cleanest in Christchurch after all the sterilisation that had been done in the wake of the virus. I hope he is right.

According to Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Mel Brieseman, I should be in no danger. Dr Brieseman is satisfied the measures taken by Winnie Bagoes in the wake of six reported cases will make eating there a safe bet.

About 18 cases of the norovirus have been officially reported in the city's recent outbreak, but the actual number of cases is likely to be many times bigger, Dr Brieseman says.

He is getting inundated with calls from people who may have it but are reluctant to give their details or details of where they ate.

Several Christchurch eateries have been suggested as being linked to norovirus cases, but Winnie Bagoes is the only one confirmed so far.

Top Auckland seafood restaurant Bluefins was hit by a damaging hepatitis A scare in 2002, when a waitress contracted the disease, and the restaurant later closed.

Winnie Bagoes owner Geoff Cavell voluntarily closed down his premises for a complete sterilisation last week and says everything has been fine since.

"It is business as usual, and the patrons have been flowing in as per normal."

He says it is likely the virus was originally brought on to the premises by an "external source".

On my visit, the first impressions of the pizza bar are good. I am not alone in the indoors dining area.

About a dozen people are also out for a Thursday lunch, and I cannot detect any nervous expressions. I'm told the lunch crowds can vary greatly, so it's hard to tell if the publicity is making for a few empty tables.

Asked if the norovirus is gone, the woman serving my dining partner and I laughs it off. "Yeah, absolutely".

As my companion and I tucked into our delicious chicken camembert and cranberry and beef, bacon and barbecue pizzas, everything seemed normal. But then I guess you can't taste a virus, so I'm not sure what I am searching for.

My dining partner is far more relaxed: "It doesn't really concern me. I'm sure with all the publicity things have been cleaned up."

We finish our meal, let it settle for good measure and leave with leftovers bagged up.

As this goes to print, I still feel in good health. I just hope I'm not tempting fate.

Norovirus

* Norovirus is the name given to a group of viruses that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, muscle and joint pain and lethargy. Symptoms can last for up to 60 hours.

* A norovirus has no specific treatment, but symptoms can be relieved by drinking plenty of fluids and taking painkillers.

* It can best be avoided by thorough hygiene practices and by keeping infected people away from work or schools.