Goat Slaughtered in Captain's Galley Kitchen May be Source of Outbreak
Health officials closed Captain’s Galley Restaurant in China Grove, North Carolina, after learning a goat had been slaughtered in the kitchen days before several restaurant patrons contracted E. coli infections. One of those sickened, Faye Sides, died on Thursday.
Although E. coli is usually associated with beef cattle, goats can also carry and spread this pathogen. Raw goats milk and goat meat carry the risk of E. coli contamination. Goats at petting zoos and county fairs can also spread the pathogen. In this case, feces from the slaughtered goat could have been contaminated food preparation surfaces, utensils, or food that it came in contact with.
Interviews of Captain’s Galley employees have been conflicting, and investigators are doubtful as to whether any part of the goat carcass will be found. Without the carcass to test for E. coli, health officials may never be able to determine conclusively that the goat was responsible for the E. coli outbreak.
The owners of Captain’s Galley in China Grove have denied knowledge of the goat killing, but even if they did not know about it, a restaurant is liable for any illness associated with its food. Microbiological evidence linking an outbreak to a specific food is often not necessary for a finding of liability against a restaurant if the other microbiological and epidemiological evidence is strong, for example if outbreak victims sickened by genetically-identical E.coli bacteria ate at a certain restaurant within a certain time frame.
Pritzker | Ruohonen has been contacted by families of victims of this outbreak. For a free consultation regarding the liability of a restaurant that has been linked to an E. coli outbreak, please call Pritzker | Ruohonen toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.