La Luz Mexican Grill Salmonella outbreak rises to 19

The Larimer County Health Department in Colorado announced that the Salmonella outbreak linked to La Luz Mexican Grill in Fort Collins has increased to 19 confirmed cases.

Health department spokesperson Katie O’Donnell said additional testing is pending for other potential victims. Officials have not been able to determine the exact cause of the outbreak, O’Donnell said.

The La Luz Mexican Grill staff was scheduled to attend a ServSafe Food Handler Program training at The Cooking Studio this week — one stipulation the restaurant must complete in order to reopen.

There are two other La Luz-branded locations in the Fort Collins area: at 140 E. Boardwalk Drive in Fort Collins and 1518 Madison Ave. in Loveland, just south of the city. Those restaurants have different owners, however, and are not involved in this outbreak.

The Old Town restaurant is located at 200 Walnut Street A in the Old Town neighborhood of Fort Collins.

The Larimer County Health Department said it received the first complaint about the matter on Aug. 17. After additional complaints and further testing, La Luz Mexican Grill voluntarily shut down on Aug. 21. At that point, six Salmonella cases had been confirmed.

Colorado’s Larimer County Health Department announced that the Salmonella outbreak linked to La Luz Mexican Grill in Fort Collins has increased to 19 cases.

La Luz Mexican Grill: health violations

Health department officials conducted a routine inspection of the Old Town La Luz Mexican Grill on Aug. 17, and they rated the kitchen “fair” while citing a number of temperature violations and observing flies in the kitchen. A second inspection on Aug. 21 showed that the restaurant had corrected those violations.

In January 2017, the restaurant was cited as “unacceptable” for temperature and cleanliness violations.

La Luz Mexican Grill: Salmonella info

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella bacteria are responsible for approximately 1.2 million foodborne illnesses in the United States annually. The bacteria produce an illness called salmonellosis, which affects the intestinal tract and is one of the most common types of food poisoning yearly.

Salmonellosis can develop anywhere from 12 hours to 72 hours after food contaminated with Salmonella is consumed. As with most types of foodborne illnesses, symptoms can include:

• diarrhea
• abdominal pain
• vomiting
• high fever
• chills.

Symptoms can last as long as a week. Most people recover without needing to see their doctor, but in some cases, diarrhea can become so severe that dehydration occurs, and then hospitalization is necessary.

The CDC estimates that of the approximate 1.2 million annual cases of infection, 23,000 victims will need to be hospitalized, and about 450 of them will die.

Salmonellosis complications
Complications occur when the Salmonella bacteria enter the bloodstream. People most at risk for complications are children under the age of 5, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Complications can include:

• meningitis: inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
• endocarditis: infection of the heart’s inner lining, usually involving the heart valves.
• osteomyelitis: bone inflammation that usually targets the legs, arms, or spine.
• reactive arthritis: also known as Reiter’s syndrome, a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to a Salmonella infection in another part of the body.

Contaminated foods
Many different types of food can carry Salmonella bacteria, including dairy, meat, fish, raw fruits and vegetables, spices, and nuts. In 2015 and 2016, the CDC reported nine outbreaks in the United States because these foods were contaminated:

• eggs
• alfalfa sprouts
• pistachios
• a packaged organic shake and meal product
• nut butter spread
• cucumbers
• pork
• frozen chicken
• frozen raw tuna.