Texas, Oklahoma Hit Hard by Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Mexican Food Chain
Texas and Oklahoma were hardest hit by a Salmonella outbreak that public health investigators traced to a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain that operates in at least 11 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not name the restaurant chain in its only report on the outbreak, but it noted that 86 percent of the case patients were from Texas or Oklahoma.
A total of 68 people were infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis, including 43 in Texas and 16 in Oklahoma. The other states with confirmed illnesses were Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa , Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, and Tennessee. About a third of the individuals were hospitalized.
Food safety law firm PrtizkerOlsen, P.A., is prepared to help any family or individual sickened in this outbreak. Questions about possible foodborne illness litigation can be directed to any attorney at the firm, 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and a lawyer will respond. Free case consultations are central to our practice and clients don't owe us anything until a claim is obtained for them.
Salmonella is the most common bacterial cause of foodborne outbreaks in the United States and approximately half of all Salmonella outbreaks occur in restaurant settings. Harms from an infection be long-lasting, at times causing a painful and disabling condition known as reactive arthritis or Reiter's Syndrome.
Investigators believe the outbreak may have been caused by a contaminated produce item that arrived by truck delivery, but efforts to pinpoint the food responsible for the outbreak did not succeed. The outbreak is now over, but it spanned most of October and November and spiked in late October.
It's not clear why the CDC did not name the restaurant chain, but the company's identity will become known as PritzkerOlsen investigates on behalf of outbreak victims. Anyone who contracts food poisoning at a restaurant is entitled to damages from the restaurant. This is the case even when the specific food source is not determined by health investigators or when the restaurant unknowingly accepts food already contaminated with a pathogen and serves it. Restaurants are an important filter in the U.S. food safety system. We rely on them to hand-pick suppliers that provide wholesome and unadulterated ingredients.
When restaurant owners are held accountable for making people sick, our food safety system is strengthened for the good of everyone.
