In the last two months nearly 600 people have suffered Salmonella infections linked to restaurants in Wisconsin, Idaho and North Carolina. Illnesses have spread to at least a dozen states.
Supermercado Los Corrales Salmonella Outbreak
The Kenosha County Division of Health reports that as of Wednesday, June 3rd, Salmonella with a matching DNA fingerprint has been found in 35 patients. Divisions of Health official’s say over 75 sick people have been identified during an investigation into Supermercado Los Corrales. Salmonella has been confirmed in a total of 35 patients.
Based on interviews that have been conducted and laboratory testing, the source of the Salmonella outbreak has been determined to be pork carnitas sold at Supermercado Los Corrales during Mother’s Day weekend (May 8th through 10th).
Laboratory testing conducted at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection isolated Salmonella from leftover carnitas sold at Supermercado Los Corrales on Sunday, May 10th. Further testing performed at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene confirmed the Salmonella had the same DNA fingerprint as the patient isolates.
Boise Co-op Salmonella Outbreak
The Central District Health Department (CDHD) estimates that Salmonella has sickened over 280 people after consuming contaminated food manufactured and sold by the Co-op. Most illnesses have occurred in June 2015.
The CDHD is currently continuing to investigate the outbreak. DHD has indicated that reports of Salmonella illness have come in from outside of Idaho as well, because the Co-op sells its deli products at Boise Airport terminal kiosks.
On or about June 15, 2015, CDHD reported that lab tests conducted on several food samples from the deli at Defendant’s establishment have tested positive for Salmonella. Contaminated foods included tomatoes, onions, and raw turkey. The Co-op closed its deli, and has warned consumers to discard any foods purchased from the deli after June 1, 2015.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health reports that at least 197 people have been sickened from 14 North Carolina counties and 6 states in an outbreak of Salmonella that officials link to the Lexington Tarheel Q barbecue restaurant. Of these 197 cases, 54% are male, 43% are between the ages of 20 and 49, 20% have visited their medical provider, 11% have visited the emergency room and 7% have been hospitalized. Eighty-two percent of cases had illness onset dates between Tuesday, June 16, 2015, and Sunday, June 21, 2015.
All 197 people ate at Tarheel Q on West US Highway 64 in Lexington, in the days before falling ill, officials said. Eighty-nine percent of the people affected are from Davidson and Davie County.
Laboratory testing indicates that the BBQ sample and a sample from a patient who became ill during the beginning of the outbreak are both positive for Salmonella species. The serogroup was found to be Typhimurium. Both samples have the same PFGE pattern (i.e. DNA fingerprint). Over 20 additional clinical specimens are pending results at the state lab.
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