A South Side eatery remained closed on Wednesday for what Allegheny County Health Department officials are calling a "highly unusual" case of rodent infestation.
Tusca, a Mediterranean tapas restaurant in the SouthSide Works, was ordered to close on Tuesday when inspectors found a "massive infestation," said Guillermo Cole, health department spokesman, adding the mouse droppings were "too numerous to count."
"We stopped counting once we got close to 1,000," he said.
Employees and exterminators worked through the night Tuesday to clean the restaurant and seal off points of entry, general manager Brandon Moyer said. A re-inspection yesterday afternoon showed signs of improvement, but not enough to allow the business to reopen, said Cole. Officials will visit the restaurant again today.
The health department issued a consumer warning at Claddagh Irish Pub, located in the same building as Tusca, on Monday. Officials found about 400 mouse droppings throughout the establishment, Cole said. The consumer warning was removed on Wednesday around noon after re-inspection.
"The department made recommendations, and we responded to those," said Claddagh manager John Pike.
No one reported illnesses related to the infestations, Cole said.
Mice "seem to be an issue in this area in general being so close to the river," Moyer said. However, Cole said the river isn't contributing to infestation.
"I don't think it matters at all," he said. "Other food establishments aren't having problems like this. They need to be more vigilant and diligent in those operations to rodent-proof the establishment."
The county also inspected the Wine Loft, also in the same building as Tusca and Claddagh, this week. It passed inspection.
"We are not aware of any other problems in that building," Cole said. "We really feel it's confined."
Patrons to both Claddagh and Tusca seemed unfazed by the incidents on Wednesday. Several diners sat on Claddagh's outdoor dining area in the afternoon sharing appetizers and sipping drinks.
Mike Fitzgerald, 22, of Oakland, works in the South Side and frequents Claddagh's for lunch. He doesn't intend to stop eating there.
"I'm not really concerned," he said.
Jeremy Supinski, 29, of Cranberry, was equally unconcerned. He's eaten at Tusca in the past and plans to do so in the future.
"Whenever these places get in trouble, they get their act in order," he said.
SouthSide Works opened in stages between 2002 and 2004. According to county health department records, there have been no other alerts or closures in SouthSide Works establishments in the last year.
"The vast majority don't have problems with rodents," Cole said. "It usually does not rise to this level. It's something you can take care of and not necessitate a consumer alert or closing."
