An outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning associated with Miller’s Guild restaurant in Seattle, Washington is being investigated by the King County Public Health Department. Six people from four separate parties got sick after eating there on dates that range from August 15, 2017 to November 3, 2017.
One person was hospitalized in this outbreak, but that person has recovered. Lab testing of patient isolates found that three of those sickened had the same strain of Salmonella Braenderup. This suggests a common source of infection. The other three patients were not tested. The press release by King County states that in the past year, less than five cases of this particular strain of Salmonella Braenderup were reported in that area.
Environmental Health closed the restaurant on November 21, 2017 at 4:45 pm because of this outbreak. There is no more information about this outbreak at the King County website.
The symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include stomach and abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, and a fever. Most people get sick within 6 to 72 hours after they are exposed to this bacteria. And most people do not see a doctor when they contract this infection. The multiplier epidemiologists use when investigating these outbreaks is 29. That means there are usually 29 times more people sickened in outbreaks than end up in the official total.
Salmonella outbreaks have been linked to many foods just this past year, from papayas to jambalaya to frozen raw chicken. Many of those outbreaks have been linked to restaurants.
If you visited Miller’s Guild restaurant in Seattle in the past few months and have experienced the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, it’s wise to inform your doctor. This illness can have long term health implications, including Reiter’s Syndrome that can cause reactive arthritis, high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome. A record of this illness should be on your chart.
