About 50 people who attended a gathering at the Living Word Tabernacle in Gastonia, NC last week got food poisoning, one of them has a confirmed case of Salmonella poisoning, according to the Gaston County Health Department. County health authorities are collaborating with the state health department, working late into the evening on their investigation of the outbreak which may involve residents from other states.
They are gathering samples and information from those sickened and expect to release a summary of what they have learned tomorrow.
At this point, a food source for the outbreak has not been identified. Food served at the event may have been supplied by more than one vender.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramping, nausea, chills and headache which usually develop within 12 to 72 hours of exposure and last about a week. For some people, the diarrhea can be so severe that hospitalization is required. These patients can develop a more serious, sometimes fatal infection that spreads from the intestines to the blood stream.
