The Alabama Department of Public Health said more than 100 people from several states attended the funeral July 6 at Eastern Star Baptist Church in York and ate a meal after the funeral. Health officials said a foodborne illness has affected at least 67 of them. The illness caused people to be hospitalized in at least 10 states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The health department said several people remain hospitalized, with some in serious condition.

The assistant state health officer for disease control, Dr. Mary McIntyre, said about eight more of the people who became ill are being tested. If their cases show salmonella, there is no need to test everyone, she said.  She said preliminary findings from the investigation suggest the illness was caused by cross-contamination during food preparation. She said salmonella is commonly found in raw and undercooked meat and eggs, and the cross-contamination could have occurred if the same cutting board or counter was used to prepare raw meats and fruits and vegetables.

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.