Health officials: 60+ ill after exposure to store that's possible source of Salmonella outbreak
KENOSHA COUNTY (WITI) -- Kenosha County Division of Health officials now say more than 60 people have been identified as having gastrointestinal illness and exposure to Supermercado Los Corrales -- a possible source of a Salmonella outbreak.
The Division of Health is investigating food purchased over Mother’s Day weekend (May 9th-10th, 2015) at Supermercado Los Corrales, located at 3933 52nd Street in Kenosha, as a possible source of the outbreak.
As of Wednesday, May 20th, health officials say Salmonella with a matching DNA fingerprint has been found in two patients. Additional stool samples are still being tested.
The source of the outbreak is still under investigation. Health officials are working with Supermercado Los Corrales.
Meanwhile, the meat and food preparation area at Supermerdaco Los Corrales is closed as this investigation continues. The remainder of the establishment is open.
Health officials have provided the following tips for preventing Salmonella:
Salmonellosis is an illness with variable severity. People infected with Salmonella bacteria may experience the following symptoms:
Salmonella symptoms
The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most persons recover without treatment.
Dr. Syed Quadri and his colleagues at Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha have been treating potential cases of Salmonella. Dr. Quadri says patients can become dehydrated.
"I think the most important thing is hand washing. A lot of times if you go to the bathroom and didn't wash your hands, that's the most common spread of the organism," Dr. Quadri said.
That's what students in a fifth-grade classroom in Kenosha County are focusing on following the Salmonella outbreak.
Jakob Bar-Din didn't eat food purchased from Supermercado Los Corrales, but he knows he could contract Salmonella from someone else.
"I'm washing my hands, I'm making sure to keep myself clean and healthy so I can have less risk because I know there`s still a risk that I can get it even though I'm healthy," Bar-Din said.
Germs are everywhere -- especially in the Kenosha Unified School District which includes about 22,000 kids.
"We are always taking care of our school building to the highest level, however, we did heighten our cleaning process in the common areas, the classrooms, the restrooms just to ensure that if anybody was carrying the infection that it would be stopped in our schools as well," Kenosha Unified School District spokeswoman Tanya Ruder said.
School district officials also put out robocalls to parents reminding them to watch for the symptoms of Salmonella and the importance of hand washing.
Anyone who is experiencing the symptoms listed above for more than four days should contact their health care provider.
Salmonella is identified through laboratory testing of the stool of an infected person.
The Kenosha County Division of Health will provide an update each day as this investigation continues.
For more information, you're urged to call the Kenosha County Division of Health at 262-605-6700, 800-472-8008, or visit kenoshacounty.org.
Supermercado Los Corrales