Salmonella outbreak at Supermercado Rivera on Chicago’s West Side

At least six people are ill after an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning at the Supermercado Rivera grocery story on the West Side of Chicago.

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that the sickened people ate carnitas and other foods purchased Feb. 23-24 at Supermercado Rivera. According to a news release from the CDPH, the foods were purchased at the kitchen counter of the grocery store, which is located at 4334 West 51st Street in the Archer Heights neighborhood.

The CDPH is advising that anyone who purchased food from the Supermercado Rivera kitchen counter on Feb. 23 or Feb. 24 throw it away immediately. If shoppers have already consumed food purchased at the counter on those dates, they could have been exposed to Salmonella.

At least six people became sick after an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning at the Supermercado Rivera grocery story on the West Side of Chicago.

Supermercado Rivera:
Call CDPH if you feel sick

Most Salmonella infections resolve themselves without antibiotics, but older people and anyone with a compromised immune system might need to seek the treatment of a health-care professional.

If you are experiencing any symptoms associated with Salmonella – including diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain, and fever – and ate food from Supermercado Rivera purchased on the affected dates, you are encouraged to seek medical attention, and to contact the CDPH at 312-746-7425.

Symptoms usually develop from 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated food, and they can last as long as a week.

Supermercado Rivera:
About Salmonella

Salmonella bacteria cause a foodborne illness called salmonellosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 1.2 million Americans contract salmonellosis yearly. In addition, about 23,000 people will be hospitalized because of their infection, and 450 victims will die because of it.

Most people who become infected with Salmonella ingest the bacteria from contaminated food or water. Contamination happens after infected feces comes into contact with animals, crops, or water, and people then eat or touch those items and don’t wash their hands.

Humans naturally have Salmonella bacteria in their stomach and intestines, but stomach acid and intestinal bacteria kill the Salmonella before it can invade cells and replicate.

Supermercado Rivera:
High-risk demographics

People at the greatest risk of developing salmonellosis include young children, senior citizens, and anyone with a compromised immune system, most predominately pregnant women. In addition, anyone suffering from a disease of the intestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease, is also more likely to become ill.

Healthy adults become more susceptible to a Salmonella infection when they take an antacid, which lowers the stomach’s acidity, or they take an antibiotic, which reduces the number of Salmonella-killing bacteria in the intestines.

Supermercado Rivera:
How is food contaminated?

According to the Mayo Clinic, Salmonella can be found in many food sources: raw meat, undercooked or improperly stored poultry and seafood, raw eggs, fresh produce, even spices, nuts, and supplements.

Sarah Fankhauser, an assistant professor of biology at Oxford College of Emory University in Georgia, told the LiveScience website for an article last November: “We should thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables to remove any contaminating microorganisms. However, washing will never get rid of 100 percent of bacteria on a fruit or vegetable, and this is problematic if the fruit/vegetable has been contaminated by particularly dangerous bacteria, such as Salmonella.”

Supermercado Rivera:
Hand-washing is important

If food handlers and preparers fail to thoroughly wash their hands after using the toilet, changing a diaper, or touching a contaminated surface, they then can easily pass the bacteria onto the food.

The water temperature used when washing hands is important. “Our bodies are 98 degrees (Fahrenheit), which is an optimal temperature for Salmonella,” Fankhauser told LiveScience “So warm water will not kill Salmonella.”

Because of that, it’s best to wash hands with soap and the hottest water possible.