RI Salmonella Death DeFusco's Outbreak
The first Salmonella death has been recorded in the DeFusco's zeppole outbreak in Rhode Island, a state health department spokeswoman said. The wrongful death victim was in his 80s and died March 23. He tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella, HEALTH spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth told CranstonPatch.
In all, at least 39 people have been sickened and 24 hospitalized, including nursing home residents in Warwick and other cities where DeFusco's zeppoles were catered. Eleven of the outbreak victims fell ill Friday at West Shore Health Center in Warwick and seven of those residents were hospitalized.
Based on findings reported from the Rhode Island food safety inspections of DeFusco's Bakery production facility in Johnston, this outbreak may have been caused by negligence -- especially considering that cream filling was found stored at ridiculously high temperatures and because pastry shells were stored in egg crates that easily could have been contaminated with Salmonella.
Officials have not released the name of the person whose Salmonella death makes this outbreak the most tragic foodborne illness event of 2011. It is a truly horrible set of circumstances when you consider that this loss of human life and corresponding emotional distress in the man's family could have been prevented.
The same was true in 2009 during the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that killed nine people. Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., was the first to file a Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit in that outbreak and handled more death cases from that outbreak than any other law firm. As one of the very few attorney groups anywhere that represents food poisoning victims all over the country, our firm is once again accepting cases from individuals and families whose loved one have been sickened or killed. Free consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our online contact form.
