Several news outlets are reporting that a Salmonella outbreak in Limestone County, Alabama is associated with an annual bean dinner fundraiser in Athens at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, held by the Limestone County Foundation on Aging. At least six people have been confirmed ill with the pathogenic bacteria.
The dinner was held on Friday night, October 4, 2013. The hospital then saw “dozens of people” over the weekend with symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. The Alabama Department of Public health is now involved and will testing food that is left over from the meal.
If you were at that dinner, monitor yourself for the symptoms of a Salmonella infection, which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, and abdominal cramps. The incubation period is usually one to three days, and the illness usually lasts up to a week. If you are ill, please see a doctor as soon as possible. She will contact the health department if you are diagnosed with salmonellosis.
