Multistate Salmonella Outbreak SIckens 68
A multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain has sickened 68 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Almost one third of those sickened with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis required hospitalization. The number of confirmed cases in each state is as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), and Tennessee (1).
Among those for whom information was available, 60 percent reported eating at the fast food chain in the week before the onset of illness. Illnesses began on or after October 13, 2011. Patients ranged in age from <1 to 79 years, the median age was 25. Fifty-four percent of patients were female. No deaths were reported.
A collaborative investigation by federal, state and local investigators was unable to identify a specific food associated with illness, but data indicate that contamination likely occurred before the product reached the restaurant locations.
Among the ill who reported eating at the restaurants, 90 percent reported eating lettuce, 94 percent reported eating ground beef, 77 percent reported eating cheese, and 35 percent reported eating tomatoes. This outbreak’s epidemic curve is consistent with produce-related outbreaks, according to the CDC. The restaurant’s meat handling and cooking practices make it unlikely that ground beef was the source.
Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause serious illness if ingested. Symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection. In some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized or the infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Young children, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems are most at risk.
If you have legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
