There was a Salmonella outbreak at Doug Sauls’ Bar-B-Que & Seafood in Nash County, North Carolina at the end of November 2019 that sickened almost a dozen people, according to the Nash County Health Department. The restaurant, located at 813 Western Avenue in Nashville, North Carolina is re-opening after being closed on November 22, 2019 by public health officials.
The press release states that “there were conditions present constituting an imminent health hazard,” at the facility, so the closure was ordered. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture Food Protection Division inspected the restaurant. Officials found Salmonella in equipment and food that is “likely to cause an immediate threat of serious adverse health effects.” The strain of bacteria that sickened people is Salmonella London, which is an uncommon type of the pathogen.
As of November 24, 2019, 14 cases were identified as Salmonella infections. Ten of those people said they ate at Doug Sauls’ Bar-B-Que & Seafood restaurant in the days before they got sick.
Environmental swabs were taken at the restaurant, including multiple locations in the kitchen. Several of the swab cultures tested positive for Salmonella.
William Hill, Nash County Health Director said in a statement, “The partnership between the local health department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture and the restaurant owner has been invaluable during this investigation. The restaurant owner has been very cooperative, but based on these findings, it is imperative for the protection of the public that the restaurant be temporarily closed and identified violations must be corrected before the restaurant may reopen.”
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Any person who ate at that restaurant and got sick with the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning within three days should consult their doctor. Physicians can submit stool samples through the local health department for free testing at the State Laboratory of Public Health. If anyone took home leftovers from the restaurant in late November 2019, throw them away.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and stomach cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. Even after a person recovers from this infection, they can have long term health complications including reactive arthritis, endocarditis, and high blood pressure. This illness should be noted on your medical chart.
