The Clover Food Labs in Massachusetts, which operates restaurants and mobile food trucks, has closed all operations because of a possible Salmonella outbreak in that state. Some of the confirmed cases ate at Clover before becoming ill. The organization decided to close as a precaution to clean and sanitize all of the restaurants and food trucks.
There is no word on what may have caused the outbreak, and the Massachusetts Department of Health doesn’t have any official information about the illnesses. Salmonella can be in eggs, on poultry and other raw meats, and in unpasteurized milk. It can also contaminate other foods through cross-contamination and through contact with someone who is sick with salmonellosis.
The food sold at Clover is vegetarian, so owners are focusing on eggs, and also the possibility that a sick person may have spread the bacteria. They are working with the City of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. So far, 12 people have been diagnosed with lab-confirmed Salmonella infections. The latest case was reported on June 27, 2013.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, abdominal cramps, headache, and muscle pains. If you are experiencing these symptoms, see your health care provider. Salmonella infections can have serious complications, including Reiter’s syndrome, which can cause reactive arthritis.
