Public Health Closes Restaurant to Investigate, Stop Spread of Salmonella

UPDATED:

The Information Below is shared from Clark County Public Health.  For more information, please contact: 

Please note that the news release sent earlier today about Salmonella cases involving a Vancouver restaurant incorrectly stated the cases were “among employees and patrons” of the restaurant. There are no cases involving restaurant employees. All cases involve restaurant patrons. The attached news release reflects this change. Please update your websites if you have already posted information about this outbreak. Thank you.

Contact:            Don Strick, Clark County Public Health   

                                                    (360) 397-8000, ext. 7307; don.strick@clark.wa.gov

October 9, 2012

Public health closes restaurant to investigate, stop spread of Salmonella 

Vancouver, WA— Clark County Public Health is investigating several Salmonella cases among patrons of On the Border restaurant, located at 1505 SE 164th Ave. Anyone who ate at the restaurant between Sept. 20 and Oct. 8 and is experiencing symptoms of salmonella should contact a health care provider.

Salmonella symptoms can include severe diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, chills, abdominal discomfort and occasionally vomiting. The symptoms generally appear one to three days after exposure. Most people recover on their own without medication.

“We closed the restaurant this morning as a further precaution to reduce the risk of Salmonella spreading to others,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Health Officer. “Our staff is interviewing employees and patrons to learn more about the possible source of the outbreak, such as a contaminated food source. We’re also working with restaurant staff to make sure standard control measures are in place, such as sanitary surfaces and equipment, frequent hand-washing and proper food handling and storage. Restaurant staff has been very cooperative.”

To date, there have been eleven confirmed cases and five probable cases associated with this outbreak. Although the risk of infection to the general public is low, Salmonella could spread if infected people don’t wash their hands properly after using the bathroom. People with salmonella should also stay home until their symptoms have disappeared.

Salmonella is a common bacterial infection. People are most often infected by eating or drinking contaminated food or water or by contact with infected people or animals. Salmonella is typically a food-borne illness acquired from contaminated raw poultry, eggs, and unpasteurized milk and cheese products. It can get on food or other objects and then into someone else’s mouth which can result in infection.