A sick employee at the Eagle’s Roost sports bar and restaurant, in Irvine, Kentucky was the source of a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 75 people. At least 12 people were hospitalized.
Sick employees are the leading cause of food poisoning outbreaks linked to restaurants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 65 percent of restaurant-related food poisoning outbreaks are caused by sick employees.
Employees who are sick with a bacterial infection such as Salmonella who don’t practice proper hand washing can transfer bacteria to food or surfaces they touch and infect others.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea that can be bloody usually appear six to seventy-two hours after infection and last up to a week. Those at highest risk to contract a Salmonella infection and develop severe complications from it include young children, seniors, those with compromised immune systems, and those who suffer from chronic illness.
