Health Law

Salmonella at Sasquatch Music Festival

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Seven cases of Salmonella have been confirmed in attendees of Sasquatch Music Festival over Memorial Day weekend. There are a number of unconfirmed cases pending test results.

Sasquatch is held at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington, each year, with food and beverages provided by Aramark.

The individuals who have tested positive for Salmonella include attendees from Washington as well as British Columbia, Canada. The Grant County Health Department is said to have had inspectors perusing the food stalls at the Lilith Music Fair this past weekend, insuring that they adhered to food safety standards.

Grant County health officials have not yet released information as to the source of the Salmonella outbreak among Sasquatch Festival attendees.

Over 30,000 people contract Salmonella in the United States each year. Salmonella is a bacterial food borne illness usually found in undercooked chicken and eggs or other foods that have come into contact with either. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. These symptoms normally set in between 12 and 72 hours after consuming a contaminated product, and bowels can remain irregular for up to six months.

Anyone who has eaten at the Gorge Amphitheater recently and recognizes these symptoms should immediately see a doctor and notify the Grant County Health District at (509) 754-6060.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on July 07, 2010 (boomark / email).