A Salmonella outbreak prompted a weeklong closure at El Patron that sickened 14 people, but yesterday the Russellville, Ala. restaurant was cleared to reopen by public health authorities. Those who became ill ate at the restaurant on June 4 or June 5.
Food poisoning from Salmonella happens when people ingest food that is contaminated with microscopic amounts of fecal matter. Meats and poultry can become contaminated with Salmonella during slaughter, or food can be contaminated by workers who do not wash their hands properly. Restaurants and other commercial settings account for about 45 percent of Salmonella outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health authorities took samples of foods from the restaurant and have tested them. A manager told WHNT News that a kitchen manager has bee hired to make sure proper food safety procedures are being followed in the future.
Two of the people sickened in this outbreak were hospitalized, but all are said to be recovering. Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea that is sometimes bloody. In a small percentage of cases, a Salmonella infection can move from the digestive tract to the bloodstream causing severe, or life-threatening illness. Long-term complications from an infection can also occur.
