The FDA has weighed in on the Mariscos Bahia raw salmon Salmonella Litchfield outbreak that has sickened at least 33 people is three states. Thirteen people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The salmon was sold to restaurants and was not sold to the general public in retail grocery stores.
The patient case count by state is: Arizona (11), California (21), and Illinois (1). The product was sold in Arizona and California, but it may have been sold to restaurants in other states.
Based on epidemiologic information gathered in interviews, and through traceback, the FDA has determined that raw salmon provided by Mariscos Bahia is the likely source of this outbreak. Of 16 people who were interviewed by public health officials, 12 said they ate sushi, sashimi, or poke the week before they got sick. Of those interviewed, 11 said they remembered details about the type of fish consumed. Nine reported eating raw salmon.
The FDA also collected multiple environmental samples at the Mariscos Bahia Inc. facility in Pico Rivera, California which tested positive for Salmonella. Whole genome sequencing analysis is ongoing, but the analysis completed to date indicates that at least one the swab matches the outbreak strain of Salmonella Litchfield.
And the presence of Salmonella in those swabs indicates that that the processing environment may be contaminated, and that the other types of fish processed in the same area could also be contaminated with this pathogen. The company produces fresh, raw halibut, Chilean seabass, tuna, and swordfish. Salmon, halibut, Chilean seabass, tuna, and swordfish.
No restaurant should serve this fish, even if it is cooked first. Those companies should also wash and sanitize locations where the fish from Mariscos Bahia were stored or prepared.
If you ate any raw or cooked fish at a restaurant in California or Arizona, check with that restaurant to see if it was from Mariscos Bahia and was received fresh, not frozen. If you did eat some, and you have been ill with the symptoms of a Salmonella infection, see your doctor. You might be part of this outbreak.
If you have been diagnosed with a Salmonella Litchfield infection after eating raw salmon or other fish from Mariscos Bahia Inc., please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
