Cross-contamination during meal time is probably what caused a virulent outbreak of Salmonella in the west Alabama town of York. Dr. Mary McIntyre, assistant state health officer for disease control and prevention , said at least 67 people are affected from as many as 10 states because the July 6 meal they shared was at a heavily visited Eastern Star Baptist Church funeral.
“If you attended this event and are ill, please contact your physician,” McIntyre said in a news release from Montgomery, Alabama. She said several people continue to be hospitalized, some in serious condition. The task of investigators has been complicated by the fact that many funeral-goers went to hospitals in their home states — at least 10 outside Alabama.
According to the Alabama Bureau of Clinical Laboratories, five of the outbreak victims are confirmed to have Salmonella Heidelberg infections. Food poisoning experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced the completion of a separate Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak, one that sickened 134 people and was linked to Foster Farms brand chicken.
In the Alabama funeral outbreak, Public Health’s investigation began after a report from a local hospital that several people had been seeking emergency room care with symptoms of fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. “The preliminary investigative findings suggest the illness was caused by cross contamination during meal preparation,” McIntyre said.
Salmonella attorney Fred Pritzker, whose Bad Bug Law Team has recovered tens of millions of dollars for food poisoning survivors, has directed lawyers for the firm to conduct an independent investigation of the Alabama funeral Salmonella case on behalf of victims. He said cross-contamination issues usually hint at improper training of kitchen staff. Examples of past Salmonella outbreaks due to cross-contamination have involved mishandling of raw eggs or raw poultry — both of which are sometimes contaminated in their raw form.
