In a follow-up to a report last week, The Kenosha County Division of Health continues to interview individuals with gastrointestinal illness and exposure to Supermercado Los Corrales. As of this time, more than 60 ill persons have been identified.
To date, Salmonella with a matching DNA fingerprint has been found in five case patients. Additional stool samples are currently being tested and the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase as those results become available.
Based on the interviews that have been conducted, the source of the outbreak appears to be pork carnitas sold at Supermercado Los Corrales. Testing of food from is currently in progress.
The meat and food preparation area of Supermercado Los Corrales is temporarily closed while the investigation is ongoing, but the remainder of the establishment is open.
Tips for preventing Salmonella:
• Wash hands with soap before and after food preparation, and before eating.
• Wash kitchen work surfaces and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry to prevent cross contamination with other foods.
• Always treat raw eggs, poultry, beef and pork as if they are contaminated and handle accordingly.
Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
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