Sick with Salmonella?
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Attorney Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people sickened by Salmonella; he has four clients in this year’s outbreak from contaminated eggs. If you or a family member got sick after eating at Pasha Mediterranean Grill, you might have cause to file a lawsuit. Please call (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation, or complete the following:
A Salmonella outbreak at a Pasha Mediterranean Grill in San Antonio is bigger than first thought.
The latest numbers released by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (SAMHD) show 184 confirmed cases, far more than the initial estimate of 60-plus cases. In addition, seven victims have been hospitalized.
The restaurant has four locations in the San Antonio area. The affected restaurant is located at 9339 Wurzbach Road. None of the other locations are affected.
Pasha Mediterranean Grill: more than 200 calls
The SAMHD reported that it has received at least 200 calls from potential victims. Anyone who has gotten sick after eating at the Wurzbach Road location is being urged to call 311 to report the illness. They are also being advised to see a doctor immediately to avoid becoming dehydrated.
The San Antonio medical community has been advised to test for Salmonella if patients complain of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
A Pasha Mediterranean Grill location in San Antonio is the source of a Salmonella outbreak in which 184 people are ill and seven of them hospitalized.
Pasha Mediterranean Grill: horror story
Rick and Laura Vance, who are expecting a baby, told KSAT 12 that they believe they were affected by the Salmonella outbreak after eating at the restaurant.
“I had to literally pull over and go to the bathroom at a couple of fast food restaurants,” Rick Vance said. “Then I got home, and I was, like, ‘Babe, I don’t know — my stomach has been acting strange.’ ”
Rick Vance said his wife had similar symptoms.
“(Laura) just couldn’t get in enough fluid for what was coming out. But the great thing is that we didn’t get the nausea. We didn’t get the vomiting. So we were blessed because that would have put her in the hospital, ” Rick Vance said.
“It scared us and scared me to death with her being over 31 weeks (pregnant). Dehydration would put her in pre-term labor.”
Pasha Mediterranean Grill: searching for source
The SAMHD director, Dr. Colleen Bridger, said that although the agency knows Salmonella is the issue, “We don’t know where it came from: food handlers, or whether it came from the food that was being served, or both.”
Bridger said Salmonella bacteria occur when food is not properly stored, prepared or served at the correct temperature. She also said the bacteria can be spread if the food handler or server is sick and doesn’t properly wash their hands.
Bridger said her inspectors have been at the Wurzbach Road Pasha Mediterranean Grill every day this week, working with management and staff. The SAMHD discovered that the restaurant’s refrigeration wasn’t cold enough, and the refrigerators were closed until they reached the proper temperature.
“The restaurant has been extremely willing to work with us,” Bridger said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do.”
Pasha Mediterranean Grill: Salmonella info
Salmonella bacteria produce an illness called salmonellosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that about 1.2 million Americans are sickened by Salmonella yearly, and 1 million of those cases are due to contaminated food. Approximately 23,000 victims will need to be hospitalized, and about 450 of them will die.
Salmonellosis can develop anywhere from 12 hours to 72 hours after consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella. Symptoms can last up to a week, and most people recover without needing to see a doctor. In some cases, however, diarrhea can become so severe that hospitalization is necessary.
Salmonellosis complications
People most at risk for complications are pregnant women, the very young and the very old, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
Complications occur when Salmonella enter the bloodstream and 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.
