XENIA, Ohio -- Health officials closed a Mexican restaurant for several hours Friday after nearly two dozen people reported becoming sick, police said.

Mark McDonnell, with the Greene County Health Department, said they received 23 illness complaints from residents who ate at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurante in Xenia.

Health officials believe the sickness was caused by a norovirus, otherwise known as the Norwalk virus.

"We strongly suspect it's the Norwalk virus simply because of the time frame," McDonnell said. "People reported getting sick within 24 hours, and it only lasts 24 to 48 hours."

Officials believe the illness, which is similar to the stomach flu, may have spread from an infected worker.

"We had a couple of employees ill last week, and they might have come back on a little too early and were still shedding the virus," McDonnell said.

Health officials ordered workers to sanitize the restaurant before it reopened at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon. Inspectors said the restaurant meets all its requirements and is now safe for customers.

"We washed everything, but actually we wash everything every day, but this morning we cleaned, too," said the restaurant's assistant manager, Jesus Palma. "The health department says the (illnesses came) from here, but I really don't know."

McDonnell said the health department is currently waiting for test results to officially determine if the Norwalk virus is to blame. The results will be complete next week.