A Salmonella outbreak at Old Country Buffet in Maple Grove, MN sickened 23 people who ate at the restaurant in late January, the Minnesota Department of Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. One person has been hospitalized.
So far, 11 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infection have been culture-confirmed. Tests on stool samples from those patients will identify the “genetic fingerprint” of the bacteria allowing health investigators to determine if any samples taken from the restaurant are a match.
A food source has not yet been identified. State and county health officials are working together on the ongoing investigation, said Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health.
Salmonella infections happen when people eat food contaminated with microscopic amounts of fecal matter. Symptoms, which include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, usually develop between six and 72 hours after exposure and last up to a week. Anyone who ate at the Old Country Buffet in Maple Grove and has these symptoms should see a doctor.
