Screen-Shot-2014-05-14-at-4.38.05-PMA private event held in Colbert County Saturday, November 12, resulted in at least 77 persons becoming ill with presumptive Salmonella gastroenteritis. Twelve persons were hospitalized at local hospitals due to the illness. All patients are recovering. Signs and symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and some fever. The incubation period can range from 6 to 72 hours.

The Colbert County Health Department has been investigating this foodborne outbreak since first receiving reports on Monday morning following standard outbreak procedures including interviewing patients, obtaining patient specimens, inspecting the food source, and obtaining food samples. Food and patient specimens have been processed by the Alabama Department of Public Health’s laboratory. The laboratory has reported that initial patient specimens tested presumptive positive for Salmonella. Food results are pending as it takes longer to process food specimens. The caterer is cooperating with the health department and is no longer preparing food.

Dr. Karen Landers, Assistant State Health Officer, states that the health department will continue to follow up with patients and local health care facilities to ensure that affected patients are interviewed.

“The health department’s priorities are the health of the patients, a thorough investigation, and preventing any additional illness,” Dr. Landers said. “This was a private event with exposure to the food over a specific time period. Therefore, there is no threat to the general public.”

But Decatur Daily reports that guests of the Saturday wedding confirmed it was held at a Sheffield hotel and catered by a local company called Indelible Catering. A 71-year-old woman died six days after a luncheon hosted by Indelible in Decatur in May 2014 left 17 people ill with Salmonella and two with E. coli, according to the newspaper.

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.