A Salmonella outbreak is being investigated in Eaton, Massachusetts, Ann Scales of the Massachusetts Department of Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin. The investigation began on Monday, September 25, 2017. The MDH is working with the Easton Board of Health to collect information to determine the source. The outbreak is associated with a restaurant.
Other news outlets have mentioned the restaurant by name, but we will not do that until there is confirmation from a government source. Ms. Scales told us, “We do not advertise the names of restaurants under investigation unless there is reason to believe there is an on-going health threat. In this situation, while these reports certainly led us to start an investigation, we really do not have enough information at this point to believe that there is an ongoing health threat where the public would need to be notified.”
We do not know how many people have been sickened, if anyone has been hospitalized, or if any particular food source is suspected in this outbreak. We also do not know the number of people who have been sickened. We will let you know when we learn more about this outbreak.
The symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, abdominal cramps, and a fever. These symptoms usually appear 12 to 72 hours after exposure to this bacteria. Most people recover on their own and do not visit a doctor, but some become so ill, usually from sepsis or dehydration, that they need to be hospitalized.
If you or anyone you know ate at a restaurant in Easton, Massachusetts in the past week or so and have experienced these symptoms, see your doctor. Salmonella infections can have long term consequences even if you recover completely, including reactive arthritis, high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Pritzker Hageman, America’s food safety law firm, successfully represents people harmed by adulterated food products in outbreaks throughout the United States. Its lawyers have won hundreds of millions of dollars for survivors of foodborne illness, including the largest verdict in American history for a person harmed by coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The firm also publishes the E-news site, Food Poisoning Bulletin (https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/), a respected source for food safety news and information. Pritzker Hageman lawyers are regularly interviewed by major news outlets including the New York Times, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal. In addition, the firm represents people harmed by pathogenic microorganisms in Legionnaires‘ disease, surgical site infection and product liability cases.
