Salmonella
By: Juan Pablo Rodriguez and Chandler Tyrell
What is Salmenella?
Human Effects and Facts
Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment (doctor, medicine, hospitality). However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
The Case
At least 59 people have reportedly been sickened in a Salmonella outbreak connected in part to the Ten in Texas steakhouse in Dalhart, TX. One of the restaurant’s customers who was sickened, Frances Childers, is filing a lawsuit against the restaurant. Her attorneys say that she suffered from kidney failure, along with abdominal pains, nausea and muscle aches. At least 30 of the 59 reported cases are linked to Ten in Texas, with more cases cropping up in Dalhart and nearby communities. The original source of the outbreak has not been found, though health officials are still conducting an investigation. Ten in Texas voluntarily closed for a week to undergo cleaning and sanitization. Other cases have appeared in the communities of Bushland and Amarillo. For the most part, those cases have no apparent connection to the Dalhart steakhouse.