A possible food poisoning outbreak at Toyo Tire last week in White, Georgia is being investigated by the Georgia Department of Public Health, Northwest Health District, and Bartow County Health Department. Officials think these illnesses are linked to an issue with food, but that has not been confirmed. That facility held a two-day holiday meal event at their location last week.
The cause of the outbreak is not known and illnesses are not been confirmed. There are two people who are hospitalized in Bartow in connection with this event, but there is no word on their diagnosis or status. Officials are working with Toyo Human Resources to try to determine how many people may have been sickened.
Environmental health specialists at the Bartow County Health Department are investigating the event’s caterer, which was not named in the press release, for food preparation and handling practices. They are also investigating to see if there were other sources of food at the event, and if that specific caterer provided food for other events or to other locations.
The symptoms of illness in this outbreak include an upset stomach, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Those symptoms match illnesses caused by several foodborne illness pathogens, most specifically Salmonella.
The event was held last week, so if people got sick over the weekend, that matches the incubation period for Salmonella infections, which is one to four days. People can get sick as soon as 12 hours after exposure to the bacteria, or could get sick a week later.
Officials are asking that anyone who develops these symptoms see their doctor. It’s especially important to call your doctor if you have a high fever over 101.5°F, blood in the stool, frequent vomiting that stops you from keeping liquids down, signs of dehydration, and diarrhea that lasts more than three days.
A Salmonella infection can cause all of these illness symptoms, especially the fever, dehydration, and blood in the stool. While most people don’t get medical attention for a Salmonella infection, some people can and do become so sick they must be hospitalized.
Hospitalizations are usually for dehydration. Symptoms of that complication include a marked decrease in urination, a very dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when you stand up. Sepsis, or a blood infection, is the second reason for hospitalization for foodborne illness.
If you think you are part of the food poisoning outbreak at Toyo Tire in White, Georgia, last week and have been experiencing these symptoms, see your doctor. Even if you recover completely without medical aid, this illness can have long term consequences for your health. A Salmonella illness can lead to high blood pressure, reactive arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Your doctor should have this infection on your chart.
America’s food safety law firm, Pritzker Hageman, with lawyers from the Bad Bug Team, successfully represents people who have been injured by adulterated foods in outbreaks throughout the United States. Its lawyers have won hundreds of millions of dollars for survivors of foodborne illness, including some of the largest settlements in American history. We have sued firms, caterers, food processors, and food suppliers for Salmonella outbreaks. The firm’s recent trial victory on behalf of a child with E. coli poisoning and hemolytic uremic syndrome is the biggest recovery of its kind. The firm also publishes Food Poisoning Bulletin, a respected source for food safety news and information. Pritzker Hageman lawyers are regularly interviewed by major news outlets about food safety, including CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.
