--- title: Officials confirm salmonella date: 2003-01-01T07:04:00-08:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/officials-confirm-salmonella" section: Case News Additional --- [All News](/news_events) / [](https://marlerclark.com/news_events) / # Officials confirm salmonella STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Local and state health officials have confirmed at least nine cases of salmonellosis since an outbreak of salmonella bacteria sickened patrons at a Steamboat Springs restaurant two weeks ago.The restaurant, Seasons at the Pond, has been open for less than two months and is the only restaurant connected to the outbreak, said Routt County Director of Environmental Health Mike Zopf. Between 15 and 20 people have reported symptoms consistent with salmonellosis, the disease caused by salmonella, said Nadine Harrach of the Department of Environmental Health. The symptoms include diarrhea, bloody diarrhea and fever. Officials are still waiting for results from additional tests. Ironically, among those who fell ill were several Steamboat Springs School District food service workers who ate breakfast Dec. 16 at Seasons on the Pond. The food service workers missed the last week of school and may miss several more days if they are not clear of the infection, said Roberta Gill, the district's food service director. Harrach said the investigation into the outbreak has identified Dec. 16 as the date of infection. The cause has not been determined yet, though officials believe contaminated fruit is the likely culprit. "Through process of elimination, we seem to be centering on fruit," Zopf said. A lack of recent cases leads health officials to believe that the chain of contamination has been broken, Harrach said. Symptoms of salmonellosis usually appear within 12 to 36 hours of ingestion of contaminated food. Seasons at the Pond co-owner and executive chef Bill Lepper said he's devastated by the outbreak. "I know I'm a freak about my kitchen," Lepper said. "I can't tell you how upset I am. I take full responsibility for it, because I'm the chef. "We obviously have a concern for the health of our customers and the health of our business." Sanitizing melon rinds with a bleach solution is one of the steps Seasons at the Pond has taken to prevent another outbreak, Lepper said. "We're taking tremendous steps," he said. "Whatever happened that day with that melon, or whatever it was, is not going to happen again. We want to build a local clientele. We want them to feel that it's a safe restaurant to go to." All 24 restaurant employees that handle food have been tested for salmonella contamination, Lepper said. Six employees have tested positive, but only one has shown salmonellosis symptoms. Those six employees will not return to work until the bacteria has expelled itself from their bodies. Only the one employee who has shown symptoms of salmonellosis is included in the total of nine positive cases of salmonella contamination. The initial test for possible victims is performed in Steamboat Springs, according to Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association Director Sue Birch. If a test comes back positive, the sample is sent to the state health department, which confirms the positive result, determines the strain of salmonella and extracts its DNA to attempt to link it to other outbreaks across the country. The process will take several weeks, if not months, to complete, Birch said Four of the positive cases have been linked to the Nuwport strain, which is the fourth most common strain of salmonella in Colorado, according to Birch. Approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported each year in the United States, but the actual number of infections is probably much greater because many mild cases aren't reported, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella can be killed by thoroughly cooking infected food, and hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Zopf said, while Season at the Pond is using bleach solution on its melon rinds, thorough rinsing of fruits and vegetables that are not going to be cooked is generally sufficient. Gill took 11 of her employees to breakfast at Seasons at the Pond on Dec. 16. Five of her employees were violently ill by Tuesday, and all five were kept out of work for the remainder of the week. "I'm in food service myself," Gill said. "This is like everybody's worst possible nightmare. It's a really tough situation to be in (for a restaurant)." Gill said the sick employees might miss additional workdays once school resumes Thursday. "I feed a tremendous amount of kids, and I need to be absolutely certain all of my employees are free of this before they come back to work," she said. School district staff and administrators pitched in to help with lunch duties, Gill said. "I called in all my markers," she said. "I had the finance director help serve lunches at the school. People were great." In the meantime, Lepper said he is worried about the future. "We're trying to salvage a business, if possible," he said. "The sad thing is it can happen to any person at any time. I've been in this business for 25 years and I've never seen anything like this." ### Other Lawsuits [Raw Farms linked to another Raw Milk Cheese E.coli Outbreak - 9 People sickened - Company refuses to recall product](https://marlerclark.com/raw-farms-linked-to-another-raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-7-people-sickened) [Salmonella linked to Live it Up hits 97](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-linked-to-live-it-up) [64 with Salmonella tied to Oysters](https://marlerclark.com/64-with-salmonella-tied-to-oysters) [Vega Farms Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 63](https://marlerclark.com/vega-farms-salmonella-outbreak-sickens-63) [By Heart Infant Formula tied to Botulism Outbreak spikes to 51](https://marlerclark.com/by-heart-infant-formula-tied-to-botulism-outbreak) [Green Supplement causes Salmonella Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/green-supplement-causes-salmonella-outbreak) [10 with E. coli linked to Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/3-with-e-coli-linked-to-cheese) [Kroger and Walmart Pasta Listeria Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/kroger-and-walmart-pasta-listeria-outbreak) [Salmonella Outbreak tied to Metabolic Meals](https://marlerclark.com/salmonella-outbreak-tied-to-metabolic-meals) [Giardia Outbreak hits Kentucky - El Tapatio Mexican restaurant suspected as the source](https://marlerclark.com/giardia-outbreak-hits-madisonville-kentucky-el-tapatio-mexican-restaurant-suspected-as-the-source) [Kentucky Salmonella outbreak linked to Ramsey’s Diners and Missy’s Pies](https://marlerclark.com/kentucky-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-ramseys-diners-and-missys-pies) [Sycamore Pool in Chico California Contaminated with E.coli - Two teens in ICU](https://marlerclark.com/sycamore-pool-in-chico-california-contaminated-with-e-coli-two-teens-in-icu) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all) [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all) [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all) [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all) [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all) [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all) [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all) [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all) [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all) ### Lawsuits updates by year [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli-landing) ... ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so... ###### [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in... ###### [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least... ###### [Sources of E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/sources-of-e-coli) Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)