Salmonella outbreak impacting Alabama: What to know + how to stay safe

Alabama has officially entered the investigation of a multistate Salmonella outbreak connecting to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico.

The state’s Department of Health is working with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to limit the number of infections in Alabama.

Currently, there is just one reported case of illness in Alabama directly connected to the national outbreak. There are a total of 345 cases and 36 hospitalizations connected to the outbreak across 27 states.

According to state officials, the outbreak has been linked to peppers distributed by Coast Citrus Distributor to restaurants and food service companies, especially Mexican-style restaurants in the U.S.

What are the symptoms of Salmonella?

This outbreak is linked to Salmonella Javiana infections reported between June 19 and July 20.

While the CDC feels confident they have located the source of the infection, officials still ask anyone with symptoms to contact your health care provider so any illness can be properly reported.

Symptoms include:

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal cramps
• High fever
• Aches
• Headaches
• Lethargy
• Rash
• Blood in the urine or stool

According to the FDA, most people infected with Salmonella will begin to develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness, salmonellosis, usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment but it can be fatal.

Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe salmonellosis infections.

Taking precautions to avoid contact

Of the 191 people interviewed by the CDC, 177 (93%) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA.

Chipotle and QDOBA both received product that was imported by Coast Citrus Distributors. However, given the actions of both restaurants to remove product from their stores, FDA does not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments to consumers in this outbreak.

Other distributors, restaurants and food service companies who received recalled fresh jalapeños from Coast Citrus Distributors should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the product touched.

The CDC said people should follow these steps for cleaning surfaces that may have been in contact with contaminated food:

• Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
• Wash and sanitize surfaces used to serve or store potentially contaminated products.
• Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.