Pinal County has temporarily suspended the food license permit of Windmill Winery in Florence, Arizona after a Salmonella outbreak. The illnesses are linked to a wedding that took place there on March 19, 2015.
Some members of the wedding called the county and told them that several people were sickened after the event, and that at least four people were hospitalized. An investigation by the Pinal County Public Health Services District (PCPHSD) found that the operators at Windmill Winery had exceeded their “legally allowable level of food preparation and used a non-permitted caterer.”
PHPSD Director Tom Schryer said in a statement, “all are serious violations of the Pinal County Environmental Health Code and Arizona state statute. Our inspection and preliminary review of the practices of this operator found several potential sources of this outbreak, but it will take at least the next several days to determine the cause.”
As of April 3, 2015, at least 22 people have reported becoming sick. This number will most likely grow as time goes on. Attorney Fred Pritzker, who represents clients sickened in these outbreaks, said, “a wedding should be a happy time, and the venue owners and caterers responsible for the food should follow all food safety laws and statutes to make sure no one gets sick.”
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps that usually begin 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria. Most people are sick for four to seven days and most recover without medical treatment. But some, especially those who are in high risks groups of the elderly, small children, and those with chronic illnesses, become so sick the must be hospitalized.
If you attended this wedding and got sick, please call the PCPHSD hotline at 520-866-4460 for English speakers, and 520-866-4465 for Spanish speakers. More people coming forward will help solve this outbreak. And if you were sickened, see your doctor. The long term complications of a Salmonella infection can be severe, including reactive arthritis and high blood pressure.
