The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Doniphan County Health Department are investigating a possible Salmonella outbreak that may be associated with an Election Day Indian Taco Dinner at the Highland United Methodist Presbyterian Church in Highland, Kansas. That dinner took place on August 7, 2018.
One person has tested positive with a Salmonella infection after attending the dinner. The two health departments are asking that anyone who attended that dinner or ate food there to complete an online survey to help officials investigate this possible outbreak. You are asked to complete the survey even if you are not ill.
The survey asks if the respondent ate Indian tacos, pie, black beans, watermelon, or iced tea at the dinner. Other items listed on the survey include Indian fry bread, onions, sour cream, tomatoes, black beans, and ground beef.
An outbreak is defined as two or more people sickened with the same strain of pathogenic bacteria. Only one person is sick, but public health officials are acting out of an abundance of caution.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, stomach and abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. Symptoms start 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the pathogen. Most people are sick for 12 to 96 hours, and most do recover without medical intervention. But some people may develop sepsis, which is a blood infection, or dehydration, that requires hospitalization.
Children younger than 5, adults over the age of 65, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses such as diabetes are more likely to suffer complications from this infection. And some people can have long term health consequences from this infection, including reactive arthritis and endocarditis.
