Health officials say they do not believe that food poisoning was the cause of an outbreak that sickened more than 50 firefighters and their families at a banquet for the Silver Lake Fire Department.

Investigators say the likely cause is a type of norovirus, commonly blamed for cruise-ship illness.

Dr. Ray Basri, the fire department's physician, says that the virus is easily transmitted between people in close quarters, such as those who attended the banquet, and says the onset of symptoms occurs within 24 hours of contraction.

Final results of the test are still pending, but officials are confident that Caitlin Gardens, the site of the banquet, was not responsible for the outbreak.

All who were affected by the virus have recovered and are doing fine.

State calls Middletown food-poisoning incident an 'outbreak'Health Dept. investigating food poisoning scare in Wallkill