Dozens of people have been sickened in a Salmonella outbreak after a local fundraiser was held in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. Officials say that jambalaya served at that event is the suspected cause of these illnesses. As of Thursday, October 19, 2017, 49 cases of food poisoning have been confirmed. Thirty-one people have been hospitalized. The patient age range is from 15 to 70.
One 56-year-old man has died, but officials are not sure whether or not his death is linked to this outbreak. Samples from five people have tested positive for Salmonella; the exact strain has not been mentioned.
More than 300 people attended the fundraiser on Monday, October 16, 2017 in Caldwell Parish. More illnesses may be reported as people become aware of the outbreak, or as doctor’s visits yield test results. And while most people get sick within one to three days after exposure to Salmonella bacteria, it can take up to one week for symptoms to appear.
If you were at the fundraiser on Monday and have been experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, see your doctor. This condition is reportable, so your doctor will let officials know if your stool sample tests positive for the pathogenic bacteria. Those symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, vomiting, nausea, and a fever. And remember that long term complications of this infection can include arthritis, high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome.
You can call officials yourself if you feel ill; the number is 1-800-256-2748. If you attended the fundraiser but did not get sick, please call. Interviews with well persons can help investigators zero in on the source of the contamination.
Officials are interviewing sick people and food workers, collecting samples, and educating food handlers. They are conducting traceback investigations to try to find out where the possible contamination occurred. Epidemiologists are also contacting people who purchased food at the fundraiser to let them know about this problem.
Officials are also telling anyone who may have leftover food from the fundraiser to throw it away, especially if it’s jambalaya or any food that may have come into contact with the jambalaya. Even if you reheat the food before you eat it, it may not be safe.
Pritzker Hageman law firm represents and helps people who have been sickened by contaminated food. We get answers, compensation for those who have been injured, and justice through our work. Our lawyers represent patients sickened with bacterial infections in personal injury lawsuits, and wrongful death lawsuits for families against caterers, retailers, grocery stores, food processors, restaurants, daycare centers, schools, and others. Attorney Fred Pritzker and his team recently won $7.5 million for young client whose kidneys failed because she developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after an E. coli O157:H7 infection. Please know that class action lawsuits are usually not appropriate for outbreak victims because these types of cases are unique.
