A food poisoning outbreak at Walmart Distribution center in Lebanon, Tennessee, affected dozens of people, according to news reports. The original 911 caller said that a homemade rice dish may be the culprit. At least four of the workers were considered “very ill.”
When people get sick that quickly, the pathogen is usually Bacillus cereus, norovirus, or Staphylococcus aureus. And since a rice dish may be responsible for the illnesses, it’s most likely that it was Bacillus cereus. Symptoms include nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and watery diarrhea.
The illness caused by that pathogen is often known as “fried rice syndrome,” because as cooked rice cools, if it is not refrigerated promptly, pathogens in the rice can produce toxins. And when that rice is reheated or cooked again, people can get sick because the toxins are not destroyed by heat.
Symptoms happen quickly because you are ingesting the toxin itself. With other pathogens, the bacteria must grow and produce toxins in your intestines, which can take much longer.
Most people recover without medical attention when sickened with this pathogen. But some may need to be hospitalized if they are in one of the high risk groups that are more susceptible to complications from food poisoning, including pregnant women, the very young, the elderly, and anyone with a compromised immune system or chronic illness such as diabetes.
If you ate food at that Walmart Distribution Center and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this outbreak.
