A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened about 80 people in Minneapolis has prompted the temporary closure of the vendor whose food is suspected as the source. Health officials are not releasing the name of the vendor but say a cross-contamination issue tainted guinea pig meat and other foods that caused dozens of people attending an Ecuadorian independence day festival to become ill.
Health officials say it is likely that all of the illnesses are linked to this single vendor which will remain closed while the investigation is ongoing and does not pose a continuing health threat. Bill Belknap, a spokesman for the Hennepin County Public Health Department says a final report on the outbreak will be available in about two weeks.
Some of those sickened submitted stool samples for testing and they have tested positive for Salmonella. Salmonella, a bacteria transmitted when someone ingests microscopic amounts of fecal matter, causes an infection, called salmonellosis. Symptoms, which include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and headache, usually set in 12 to 72 hours after exposure and last four to seven days.
Guinea pig meat, cuy, is a traditional food in the Andean regions of South America and is particularly popular in Peru, Columbia and Ecuador. Those who became ill after attending the festival ate food from the vendor in question, but not all of them ate guinea pig, leading health officials to conclude poor food handling practices cross contaminated a number of food items.
