On September 2018, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District commenced a foodborne outbreak investigation after it was bombarded with calls from over 250 ill patrons of Pasha Mediterranean Grill in San Antonio, Texas. Fourteen patrons were confirmed for Salmonella and a dozen were hospitalized. Those whose stool samples were confirmed at a public health lab tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis.
Patrons who fell ill were presumed to have dined at Pasha over Labor Day weekend. Investigations began on September 3, 2018. That day, numerous violations were noted, including two ill employees who worked the previous week. Testing results for these employees are not known. Other violations included improper temperature holding, improper glove use, and poor employee hand hygiene. Previously, Pasha had been given several violations of public health importance by public health inspectors. The most recent violations previous to the outbreak were recorded in May 2018.
The owner of the restaurant reportedly closed the location implicated in the outbreak after a refrigerator was found shorted following a lightning strike on September 3. While the location was re-opened the following day, it closed again two days later due to temperature issues with the same refrigerator. To date, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has not published a final summary of the investigations. It is unclear what would have caused the outbreak, although contaminated hummus was suspected by public health officials.
Symptoms of Salmonella include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Fever of 100-102 F
- Bloody diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Body aches
Symptoms typically appear 6-72 hours after eating contaminated food and last for 3-7 days without treatment. If you or a family member experienced symptoms, contact your local health department.