North Dakota Report and Action Pending Against Caterer Tied to Salmonella
In North Dakota, Sheridan County State's Attorney Walter Lipp is reserving the right to bring misdemeanor charges against a woman from rural Washburn who catered a wedding that made 15 people sick after her catering license was revoked over two previous Salmonella outbreaks.
Altogether, more than 150 people were sickened in Salmonella outbreaks associated with a family reunion and two weddings catered last year by Angie Jennings.
According to a story by newspaper reporter Brian Gehring of the Bismarck Tribune, the North Dakota State Health Department is nearing completion of a report on the outbreaks. Then, in February, the First District Health Unit in Minot, a division of the state health department, could review the report and take action.
The first two outbreaks were in connection with a wedding in Washburn and a family reunion in Wilton on June 13. State epidemidologist Kirby Kruger told the Tribune that 32 people who attended the wedding met the case definition of Salmonella poisoning and 13 tested positive for Salmonella Montevideo, a strain associated with baby chickens.
Kruger said Jennings raised chickens at her rural residence. In 2007, a North Dakota Salmonella outbreak that sickened seven people from different areas in the state was traced to a chicken hatchery in Iowa. He said the DNA pattern in the most recent cases matched the 2007 pattern.
After the reunion, 47 guests met the case definition of Salmonella poisoning with 12 testing positive for the strain. Nine people were hospitalized for treatment in that outbreak, which led to a cease-and-desist order against Jennings.
The following weekend Jennings catered a wedding in McClusky where more than 15 people became ill with Salmonella, according to the Tribune.
Lisa Clute, executive director for First District Health, said Jennings is currently out of the catering business.
