As of October 23, officials with the Louisiana Department of Health are providing the most recent case counts of individuals who have been identified with a gastrointestinal illness related to the food poisoning outbreak in Caldwell Parish.
- 158 people have been identified with gastrointestinal illness.
- 40 people have been hospitalized, with almost all now discharged.
- The health department is continuing to investigate a death that may be associated with the outbreak. Officials are working with the pathologist responsible for the autopsy and CDC to determine if post-mortem testing can be performed by the CDC.
- The ages of those with a confirmed illness range from 10 years old to 82, and mean age is 37.
In addition to the Salmonella, health officials have also identified a second pathogen, C. perfringens, that is also causing some of the illnesses. Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium commonly found on raw meat and poultry.
Dr. Parham Jaberi, assistant state health officer, said the second pathogen may explain why so many people have gotten ill and became ill so quickly.
Health officials are also testing samples of the jambalaya meals that are believed to be responsible for the outbreak. To date, 19 food samples have been tested with five testing positive for Salmonella. The results for the remaining 14 samples are still pending, and state officials are sending the samples to the CDC for further testing.
Reporting an Illness
Epidemiologists with the Louisiana Department of Health remind people who might have eaten the jambalaya meal to call (800) 256-2748.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.
If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.