Earlier this week we told you about and Oregon Salmonella outbreak that was potentially associated with Si Casa Flores restaurant in Grants Pass, Oregon. According to a report by KOBI5, the food and environmental tests did not find any of that pathogen. This could be because the food that caused the problem has been eaten or discarded, or that the ill persons have another potential source in common.
The Josephine County Public Health Department also told that station that the outbreak could be part of a larger Salmonella Newport outbreak that has sickened at least 125 people in 15 states.
Because the distribution of cases is so wide in the multistate outbreak, the odds are that a food item is the cause of the outbreak. People are sick in Oregon, Montana, Utah, California, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Iowa, among other states. And the odds are good that the outbreak is linked to some type of fresh produce, especially prepared produce, since that category is often associated with Salmonella outbreaks and no “kill step” is applied before the food is eaten.
In the past few years, there have been seven multistate Salmonella outbreaks linked to fresh produce. They are:
- In 2018, a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to raw sprouts sickened 10 people in 3 states.
- A Salmonella Adelaide outbreak linked to precut melons sickened 7 people in 9 states in 2018.
- A Salmonella outbreak linked to Hy Vee Spring Salads sickened 101 people in 10 states in 2018.
- In 2019, a Salmonella Carrau outbreak that was linked to precut melon produced by Caito Foods sickened at least 137 people in 10 states.
- A Salmonella outbreak linked to fresh imported papayas sickened 81 people in 9 state and hospitalized 27 in 2019.
- A Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to cut fruit prepared by Tailor Cut Produce sickened at least 155 people in 14 states in late 2019.
Produce can be contaminated in several ways. It may be contaminated in the fields where it grows, from bird droppings or animals or contaminated irrigation water. Contamination may occur during transport, if a food worker is ill or if a container isn’t properly cleaned between loads. And it can be contaminated during processing. One batch of contaminated produce can contaminate a large amount, which can then be shipped around the country.
Symptoms of salmonellosis, the illness caused by this pathogen, can include fever, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, stomach and abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. If you have been experiencing these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Oregon Salmonella outbreak or the larger multistate outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Salmonella infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
