A possible Salmonella outbreak at Don Julio restaurant in North Branch, Minnesota is being investigated by the Minnesota Department of Health, according to Information Officer Doug Schultz. He told Food Poisoning Bulletin that officials are investigating Salmonella cases that reported eating at that restaurant. Mr. Schultz added that there is not a risk to the general public from this outbreak.
Because the investigation is new and ongoing, there is no information about the number of patients, any hospitalizations, illness onset dates, the patient age range, or if the investigation is focusing on food or employees.
Don Julio is a Mexican-themed restaurant that has six locations in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis. The North Branch location is at 5466 St. Croix Trail, Suites EFG.
Restaurants are the most common source for outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sixty percent of food poisoning outbreaks occur at restaurants. Minnesota is one of 26 states that require kitchen managers at most establishments, which help reduce the risk of outbreaks.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant outbreaks were few in 2020. But previous Salmonella outbreaks linked to restaurants include:
In 2019, a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak linked to the Green Mill restaurant in Bloomington, Minnesota sickened seven people. Tomatoes and lettuce were the suspected foods in that outbreak, and two asymptomatic employees tested positive for that pathogen.
Also in 2019, a Salmonella outbreak at Doug Sauls’ Bar-B-Que & Seafood restaurant in North Carolina sickened fourteen people. The pathogen was found in food and on equipment at that facility.
A 2018 Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen breaded chicken products sold from Ruby’s Pantry popup locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. At least four people were sickened.
Also in 2018, eight people were sickened in a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to raw sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurants in Illinois and Wisconsin.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Noted food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients in Salmonella lawsuits against restaurants and food processors, said, “No one should get sick just because they went to a restaurant to eat. We hope that this outbreak is solved soon.”
Symptoms of a Salmonella food poisoning illness include a fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and stomach pain and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. These symptoms usually start 6 to 72 hours after infection. Most people recover within a few days without medical care, but there can be long term complications from this illness, including reactive arthritis, endocarditis, and high blood pressure.
If you have eaten at that restaurant and have been sick with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Salmonella outbreak at Don Julio restaurant in North Branch, Minnesota.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Salmonella infection after eating at Don Julio’s restaurant in Minnesota, please contact our experienced lawyers for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
