A restaurant in Muskegon County, Michigan, is being investigated as the source of recent cases of salmonella in the area. According to public health officials, 23 people in Muskegon and Ottawa counties have become ill. The vast majority are in Muskegon County. Several people have been admitted to the hospital for treatment.
The specific strain of the bacteria is called salmonella enteritidis. It is most often contracted by eating poultry or eggs that have not been cooked properly.
State health officials say they pinpointed the restaurant in Western Michigan they believe to be the source of the bacteria based on the fact that the people who came down with symptoms all ate there. The patients experienced symptoms in late October and early November. Public health officials are not naming the restaurant because they are not yet certain that it is the source of the outbreak. However, they say that the business is cooperating with the investigation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 42,000 people are diagnosed with some form of salmonellosis every year. The CDC advises people not to eat meat or eggs in restaurants or elsewhere that they believe have not been sufficiently cooked. However, salmonella can make its way into food in a variety of ways. It is nearly impossible for a restaurant to guarantee that it will never experience a case of a customer contracting a food-borne illness from their establishment. That’s why it is essential that all restaurants have attorneys who can handle the type of business litigation that may result from an accusation of any type of food poisoning.
Source:
Grand Haven Tribune, “Salmonella cases linked to eatery” Krystle Wagner, Nov. 21, 2013
