The Stater Bros ground beef Salmonella Dublin outbreak has ended with 13 sick in 8 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nine people were hospitalized, and one person who lived in California died. Since the last update on November 17, 2019, two more ill persons from Colorado and New Mexico were added to the outbreak total.
The case count by state is: California (2), Colorado (4), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), New Mexico (1), Oklahoma (1), Texas (1), and Washington (1). Illness onset dates range from August 8, 2019 to October 22, 2019. The patient age range was from 39 to 74 years. The hospitalization rate, given that 11 people talked to public health officials, was 82%, which is four times the average hospitalization rate for a Salmonella outbreak.
In six, or 46% of patients, Salmonella was found in samples of blood, which indicates that the illness was more severe. Salmonella Dublin causes more severe illness than other strains of this pathogen, particularly in older people.
Epidemiologic, traceback, and lab evidence found that ground beef was the likely source of this outbreak. Of nine people interviewed, eight said they ate ground beef at home the week before they got sick.
Lab testing found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin in repackaged leftover ground beef collected from a patient’s home in California. The outbreak strain was also found in six samples of raw beef products from slaughter and processing establishments. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) showed that the Salmonella strain from these samples was closely related genetically to the Salmonella in ill persons’ isolates.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help if you have been sickened with food poisoning by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
The source of some of the ground beef eaten by one ill person in this outbreak to Central Valley Meat Co. They recalled 34,222 pounds of ground beef on November 15, 2019. A single supplier, distributor, or brand of ground beef was not identified that could account for all of the illnesses in this outbreak. The ground beef that was recalled was labeled as “Stater Bros Ground Beef” with the establishment number “EST. 6063A.”
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, stomach cramps and pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. People usually get sick within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated food.
This outbreak was unusual because most people who contract Salmonella infections recover on their own without medical attention. Still, even after complete recovery, patients can suffer from long term complications such as reactive arthritis, endocarditis, and irritable bowel syndrome. If you ate the recalled ground beef and have been sick, see your doctor. You may be part of this Stater Bros ground beef Salmonella Dublin outbreak.
