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Food Poison Journal

Food Poisoning Outbreaks and Litigation: Surveillance and Analysis

Marler Clark to File Second Salmonella Holiday Inn Lawsuit

Posted By Bruce Clark on May 25, 2013

We will be filing a second lawsuit next week.  At least 86 people fell ill after eating at one of two restaurants within the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, N.C., as of Friday, according to Cumberland County Department of Public Health Director Buck Wilson. That number is up from 70 cases counted on Monday.

Seven of the patients have tested positive for Salmonella in laboratory cultures, Wilson told Food Safety News.

The hotel has two restaurants inside, the All American Sports Bar and Grill and the Café Bordeaux, both of which appear to be connected to the outbreak.

State and county health investigators are still working with the Holiday Inn to investigate the source of the outbreak. The county health department anticipates releasing a report on their findings shortly.

Salmonella:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.

Toccoa BBQ Shack Linked to E. coli Outbreak

Posted By Patti Waller on May 24, 2013

According to AccessGeorgia.com, the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Stephens County, Georgia has grown to 11 confirmed cases linked to the BBQ Shack in Toccoa, Georgia.

“The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), the North Health District, and the Stephens County Health Department continue to investigate an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections that occurred during early May,” said District 2 Public Health spokesman Dave Palmer.

Palmer said 10 of the cases were Georgia residents, while the other was a South Carolina resident.

Seven of those victims were hospitalized as a result of the infections, with five of those diagnosed with a complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), he said.

“Ten of the 11 case-patients reported eating at the BBQ Shack in Toccoa during the weekend of May 2-4,” Palmer said. “No other common exposures were reported among case-patients.”

Mexico Cucumbers Sicken 81 with Salmonella in US

Posted By Bill Marler on May 24, 2013

Consumption of imported cucumbers is the likely source of infection for the ill persons.  On April 24, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed Daniel Cardenas Izabal and Miracle Greenhouse of Culiacán, Mexico on Import Alert. Cucumbers from these two firms will be denied admission into the United States unless the suppliers show that they are not contaminated with Salmonella.

A total of 81 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul have been reported from 18 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (11), California (28), Colorado (1), Idaho (2), Illinois (3), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (9), Nevada (1), New Mexico (2), North Carolina (3), Ohio (3), Oregon (2), South Dakota (2), Texas (6), Virginia (3), and Wisconsin (2).  Since the last update, 8 new ill persons have been reported from Arizona (2), Minnesota (1), North Carolina (2), Ohio (2), and Virginia (1). This PFGE pattern has rarely been seen before in PulseNet and in the past typically caused 0-5 cases per year.

29% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

 

Illegal Turtles Sicken 391 with Salmonella

Posted By Andy Weisbecker on May 24, 2013

A total of 391 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 40 states and the District of Columbia.

  • 29% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
  • 71% of ill persons are children 10 years of age or younger, and 33% of ill persons are children 1 year of age or younger.
  • 45% of ill persons are of Hispanic ethnicity. Information about the association between reptiles and Salmonella is available in Spanish.

Results of the epidemiologic and environmental investigations indicate exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat) is the cause of these outbreaks.

  • 70% of ill persons reported exposure to turtles prior to their illness.
  • 89% of ill persons with turtle exposure specifically reported exposure to small turtles (shell length less than 4 inches).
  • 30% of ill persons with small turtles reported purchasing the turtles from street vendors, and 13% reported purchasing small turtles from pet stores.

Four of the outbreaks remain under active investigation. However, turtles are an important cause of human Salmonella infections in the United States.

More information about Salmonella from reptiles and amphibians, and the steps people can take to reduce their risk of infection, is available.

The Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale and distribution of turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches in size as pets since 1975. These small turtles should not be purchased as pets or given as gifts.