The Stater Bros. ground beef Salmonella Dublin outbreak has grown by one more person, making a total of 11 sick in 7 states so far in this multistate outbreak. Eight of those patients have been hospitalized because they are so sick. One person in California has died.
The case count by state is: California (2), Colorado (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), Oklahoma (1), Texas (1), and Washington (1). Illness onset dates range from August 8, 2019 to October 20, 2019. The patient age range is from 39 to 74 years. Of nine people who gave information about their illness to public health officials, eight (89%) were hospitalized.
That is a very high hospitalization rate for a Salmonella outbreak, which is normally around 20%. In five ill persons, Salmonella was found in their blood, which means their illnesses are more severe. Salmonella Dublin causes more severe illness than other strains of the bacteria, particularly in older people.
In interviews, the patients reported eating different types and brands of ground beef that were purchased from many different locations. Lab tests revealed that a repackaged leftover ground beef sample collected from an ill persons’ home in California contained the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a Salmonella Dublin infection, you can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
USDA and state partners traced the source of some of the ground beef eaten by one patient to Central Valley Meat, which produces Stater Bros. ground beef. On November 15, 2019, Central Valley Meat recalled 34,222 pounds of ground beef. However, the outbreak notice state that “At this time, a single supplier, distributor, or brand of ground beef has not been identified that can account for all the illnesses in this outbreak.”
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, stomach and abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may bee bloody. Symptoms start 12 to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with the pathogen, and most people are sick for 4 to 7 days.
If the Salmonella infection spreads into the bloodstream from the intestines, a person will be more ill and more likely to be hospitalized. If you or someone you know has been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Stater Bros. ground beef Salmonella Dublin outbreak.
