A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a woman who contracted Salmonella after eating at the X 10 in Texas Wood Fired Grill in Dalhart. The woman, whose illness became so severe that her kidneys were failing, was hospitalized for a number of days. She is one of 59 people who Texas health officials say are part of an outbreak.
The popular restaurant, located about 90 miles northwest of Amarillo, voluntarily closed for a cleaning after illnesses were reported and was cleared by the health department to reopen. Health authorities, who say no new cases occurred after the cleaning, are still trying to determine the source of the outbreak.
Employee hygiene and training are factors in most restaurant-associated outbreaks, according to Food Poisoning Bulletin Publisher Fred Pritzker, who has represented clients severely sickened by restaurant food. “In fact, during my career as a food safety lawyer on behalf of people harmed by contaminated food, I can honestly say that only a few cases did not involve food workers who were insufficiently trained, poorly paid or both.”
Salmonella is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, meaning food contaminated with human or animal waste is eaten. Salmonella infections trigger symptoms that usually develop within six to 72 hours of exposure including headache, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms can last up to 10 days. Symptoms can cause dehydration requiring treatment at a hospital. Cases where the infection travels out of the digestive tract and into the bloodstream can be life-threatening.
