Tennessee Salmonella Outbreak: Barbecue Possible Source
According to a story in the Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee), 30 to 40 people who claimed to have eaten barbecue at Latham's Meat Co., a Jackson, Tennessee, restaurant, tested positive for Salmonella. Health officials have not conclusively determined that the source of the outbreak was the barbecue eaten at the restaurant.
Barbecue has been the source of several foodborne outbreaks in the last ten years. Transmission of the foodborne pathogen (Salmonella or another pathogen) can happen when meat is served partially raw or is contaminated after cooking. The incubation period is anywhere from 6 to 72 hours, depending on the strain of Salmonella bacteria involved. Victims of Salmonella poisoning (salmonellosis) will have diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting that lasts from 2 days to 7 days.
Salmonellosis can result in severe dehydration, which in rare cases can lead to death. Other serious complication can arise for people in high-risk groups, including the very young, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.
If you have been diagnosed with salmonellosis, you should contact a Salmonella lawyer regarding your legal rights and remedies. Fred Pritzker has been practicing law for over 29 years. He has successfully representing several food poisoning victims and is currently lead counsel in a major food poisoning case involving recalled deli meat that sickened over 50 people and killed 12 others. To contact lawyer Fred Pritzker, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com.
Source: Tonya Smith-King, Latham's checked for salmonella, Jackson Sun (Tennessee), August 19, 2006.
