Kitty’s antipasto sickens 39 at restaurant in North Reading, Mass.
A salmonella outbreak among patrons of Kitty’s Restaurant in North Reading, Massachusetts, has forced the restaurant to close. Illnesses were reported by restaurant customers on June 23 and again on June 25. Nine people have been confirmed to have salmonella and another thirty cases are suspected. The restaurant’s customers complained of food poisoning symptoms to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which has identified the probable source as the antipasto salad.
After the initial closing, the restaurant re-opened on July 6. It has, however, closed again until further notice as public health officials are continuing their investigation into the salmonella outbreak. The North Reading Board of Health had recommended a thorough cleaning when the restaurant closed initially. Salmonella contamination can result from poor food safety and hygiene procedures.
Even though Kitty’s Restaurant did undergo a thorough sanitization, health officials closed the restaurant again a few days later, after receiving unidentified additional information, and it remains closed. Health officials have also recommended that the 46 restaurant employees who may have been working during the outbreak be tested and cleared before they are allowed to return to work.
Salmonella contamination can cause serious symptoms. Salmonellosis, the infection caused by salmonella bacteria, often results in
acute gastroenteritis
, an illness that usually results in diarrhea and/or vomiting due to severe inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by the bacteria. Infected individuals typically begin to experience diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 8 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food.
To learn more about salmonella contamination, food poisoning, or Salmonella at Kitty’s Restaurant, as well as your legal rights, contact the food poisoning lawyers at 1-888-335-4901.
