News outlets are reporting that a Salmonella outbreak at the Bayshore Residents and Rehabilitation nursing home in Duluth, Minnesota sickened at least 15 people and hospitalized two. All of those sickened were residents and staff; eleven residents and four staff members were ill. The outbreak occurred in August 2017.
Five people tested positive for Salmonella. Officials are saying that the illnesses were caused by “contaminated hands of staff or residents.” The illness was foodborne.
Facility personnel did a “thorough examination” of the kitchen at the facility and concluded that the bacteria was brought in from outside the building. There is no mention of how that conclusion was reached.
The facility is located at 1601 St. Louis Avenue on Park Point. It provides 139 nursing home beds. Staff were trained on hand-washing and the facility was cleaned after the outbreak.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, diarrhea that may be bloody, and a fever. Most people get sick within 12 hours to three days after exposure to the pathogenic bacteria.
While most people recover without medical care after this illness, some, especially the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, may become so ill they need to be hospitalized. Dehydration and sepsis are the most common reasons for hospitalization. There are also long term complications of a Salmonella infection, including high blood pressure, reactive arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Pritzker Hageman law firm represents and helps people who have been sickened in outbreaks such as this one. We get answers, compensation for those who have been injured, and justice through our work. Our lawyers represent families of children sickened with bacterial infections in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against 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 of hemolytic uremic syndrome after an E. coli O157:H7 infection. Please note that class action lawsuits are usually not appropriate for outbreak victims because these types of cases are so unique.
