A salmonella outbreak at a private wedding caused 77 people ill and 12 people hospitalized. The wedding happened on Saturday in Colbert Country, Alabama. Health authorities, especially the Alabama Department of Public Health are not publicizing details regarding the situation of the people involved in the incident. Even if they are not releasing information, they are at least doing something about it.
Salmonella Outbreak At Alabama
Officials did not immediately release specific food that caused people to fall ill with salmonella gastroenteritis. Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers told news outlets on Thursday that the Alabama Department of Public Health (DPH) has suspended the caterer’s permit. This is because of the outbreak at the Saturday wedding, which was attended by about 150 people.
"There were approximately 150 attendees and at this point in time we have 77 people who have exhibited signs and symptoms. We believe that number could change because the incubation period is six to 72 hours," Dr Landers told AL.com in an interview. "Patients became ill several hours to a couple days or so after the event, and we started to receive reports early Monday morning"
Alabama Department Of Public Health On The Move
The state has taken the lead on testing, said Landers. According to Food Safety News, health officials interviewed patients, obtained stool samples, inspected the food source and obtained food samples for testing at the state laboratory. All patients are recovering from what was described as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and some fever, according to the statement.
"At this time, the food is being processed in the state health department's laboratory. We can't speculate on the food item until we get the final results." Landers also that "this was a private event with exposure to the food over a specific time period. Therefore, there is no threat to the general public." Therefore, the whole Alabama do not need to be worried regarding the outbreak.
