About 28 people have fallen ill from <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/food_poisoning">Salmonella poisoning after eating at The Fort restaurant in Morrison, Colorado, according the Jefferson County Health Department, said The Denver Channel.
“We are involved in an ongoing investigation at The Fort that has made 28 persons ill,” said Nancy Braden, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Health Department, quoted The Denver Channel. According to Braden, all those who fell ill had eaten at The Fort between July 10 and July 16.
Officials at the Health Department believe the poisonings were linked to undercooked eggs. The majority of those sickened ate rattlesnake cakes, described by The Denver Channel as “an exotic dish†containing the eggs. “Many of the people who were sick had eaten that (rattlesnake cakes) dish, but not all of them,” said Braden, quoted The Denver Channel. To date, 20 cases are listed as probable; eight have been confirmed, said The Denver Channel, which explained that the tony restaurant, which looks like an 1800s fort, has served such luminaries as President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
In a statement, The Fort said, “Our deepest sympathy goes out to our customers who were affected by this illness. We hold the highest standards and consider each customer a guest in our home, The Fort,” quoted The Denver Channel. “These were isolated confirmed cases of food borne illness. The one food item suspected was immediately removed from our menu…. We are working closely with the Jefferson County Health Department, adhering to all recommendations to make our preparation of food as safe as possible,” added The Fort.
Officials involved in the case used the restaurant’s reservation list to determine the 90 people who dined there during the affected time frame. Because investigators were able to locate diners and identify and eliminate the contaminated food source, the restaurant was able to remain open and a public warning was not needed, according to Braden, said The Denver Channel. Fines against The Fort are not expected because of the establishment’s cooperation with the heath department, added The Denver Channel.
“In this case the restaurant was working directly with us and there was no reason to close the restaurant because we were able to remove the threat,” Braden said, reported The Denver Channel.
Since, the health department has provided the Salmonella strain samples to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine if this outbreak is linked to any others nationwide.
Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, persons with HIV infection, or those undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of Salmonellosis—Salmonella poisoning—are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms include chills, headache, nausea, and vomiting that can last up to seven days.
According to a previous report in USA Today, the CDC estimates that for every lab-confirmed-Salmonella case, there are roughly 38 people sick.
