Kitty’s closed; suspected in Salmonella outbreak

Kitty’s, an Italian-American restaurant in North Reading, MA, has been ordered closed until further notice after nearly 40 people reported getting sick during a suspected Salmonella outbreak.

The North Reading Board of Health said the state Public Health Department received complaints from 39 people who said they became ill after eating at Kitty’s last month. The Public Health Department confirmed nine cases of Salmonella and 30 suspected cases.

The source of the outbreak was traced to the antipasto salad. The restaurant’s house salad dressing also was considered a possibility.

As a precaution, the North Reading Board of Health recommends that anyone who bought the antipasto salad or house dressing from Kitty’s after June 1 avoid eating them. “If you have an unopened bottle of house salad dressing in your home, you are asked to contact the Health Department so that it may potentially be tested,” the statement said.

Kitty’s was closed July 5 but allowed to reopen the next day after it was sanitized. The restaurant was closed again Monday because the health department said an inspection found additional food safety and sanitation concerns, and because some employees returned to work before being cleared by the state.

North Reading is about 20 miles north of Boston.

Kitty’s, an Italian-American restaurant in North Reading, MA, was ordered closed after nearly 40 people reported getting sick during a suspected Salmonella outbreak.

Kitty’s Salmonella outbreak: disease info

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.2 million Americans are sickened by Salmonella yearly. About 23,000 of those 1.2 million victims will need to be hospitalized, and about 450 will die.

Salmonella bacteria produce an illness called salmonellosis, which affects the intestinal tract. Salmonellosis generally develops from 12 hours to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with Salmonella.

As with most types of food poisoning, symptoms – which can last as long as a week – can include:

• diarrhea, which can become bloody
• abdominal cramps
• vomiting
• fever
• chills.

Most people recover on their own and don’t need to see their doctor. In some cases, however, diarrhea becomes so severe that hospitalization is necessary.

People most at risk for complications are pregnant women, children under the age of 5, senior citizens, and those with compromised immune systems.

Kitty’s Salmonella outbreak: another headline

If you have been paying attention to the headlines this year, you undoubtedly have noticed it has been a busy year for Salmonella. Here is a look at three national outbreaks from the first six months of 2018:

Pre-cut melon
On June 19, the CDC released its latest update on the pre-cut melon outbreak sickening people with Salmonella, increasing the numbers to 70 ill and 34 hospitalized in seven states.

People sickened in the outbreak ranged in age from less than 1 year to 97, with a median age of 67. Sixty-seven percent were female. No deaths were reported.

The pre-cut melon products were made by Caito Foods in Indianapolis and shipped in clear, plastic containers. The products were sold by numerous retail outlets: Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Pay Less Super Markets, Owen’s, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Walmart and Whole Foods/Amazon. (The complete list can be found here.)

The packages have a “best used by” date of June 16, which makes it highly unlikely that any remain in the hands of consumers.

Kellogg’s Honey Smacks
Honey Smacks was the subject of a nationwide recall June 14 after the CDC linked the cereal to a Salmonella outbreak in which 73 people were sickened in 31 states. Twenty-four victims were hospitalized.

Ill people ranged in age from less than 1 to 87 years old; the median age was 58. Sixty-five percent of those sickened were female. No deaths were reported.

On June 14, the Kellogg Company voluntarily recalled 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of Honey Smacks with a “best if used by” date from June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019. The recalled 15.3-ounce boxes of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks have a UPC code of 38000 39103. The recalled 23-ounce boxes have a UPC code of 38000 14810. The UPC code is on the bottom of the box.

Two days after the FDA recall was announced, the CDC urged consumers to avoid Honey Smacks altogether: “Do not eat Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal in any size package. Check your home for it and throw it away, or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.”

Rose Acre Farms eggs
On June 14, the CDC declared as over a Salmonella outbreak from contaminated eggs. The case count was 45 people in 10 states, with 11 people hospitalized.

Ill people ranged in age from 1 to 90, with a median age of 60. Fifty-six percent were female. No deaths were reported.

According to the CDC, all evidence indicated that the eggs were produced by Rose Acre Farms’ production facility in Hyde County, NC. In mid-April, the FDA announced that Rose Acre Farms had voluntarily recalled more than 200 million eggs.