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The late 2008–early 2009 outbreak of "peanut butter Salmonella" infections in hundreds of consumers in the U.S. has renewed the concerns about food safety in America. In January 2009, thousands of products containing peanut paste, peanut butter or other peanut ingredients from a facility in Georgia were recalled due to the Salmonella risk.
The outbreak of Salmonella found in Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter recently raised concerns among countless consumers who had the products in their pantries. In February 2007, thousands of jars of peanut butter suspected of harboring Salmonella bacteria were voluntarily recalled by the food company ConAgra.
If you or a loved one recently contracted peanut butter Salmonella poisoning, you may be eligible to recover compensation for your losses. Contact us to schedule a private consultation with a food poisoning attorney to learn more about your rights.
Salmonella is a type of foodborne illness that happens more frequently than most people might think. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.4 million cases of Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) occur every year in the U.S.
More than 600 cases of peanut butter related Salmonella have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past six months, and eight people have died due to Salmonella infections linked to the peanut butter products. About half of these victims are children; they are among the population types that are more vulnerable to Salmonella poisoning — children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.
There are hundreds of different strains of Salmonella, usually transmitted to humans when they eat food or drink water that is contaminated with the bacteria, which is often found in animal feces. Any type of food can become contaminated with Salmonella. The term “Salmonella " is based on the name of the scientist who identified the bacterium more than 100 years ago — Daniel Salmon.
If you ingest something that is infected with Salmonella, the symptoms will most likely show up about 12 to 72 hours later. Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and painful or difficult urination are the common symptoms. Although in most cases the Salmonella symptoms resolve themselves within a week, sometimes the diarrhea is bad enough to warrant hospitalization. Many hospitalizations were reported during the 2008–9 peanut butter Salmonella outbreak.
Sometimes it takes months for a person's bowel movements to return to normal after a bout with Salmonella. In addition, a small percentage of people who get Salmonella poisoning go on to develop joint pain, eye irritation, and/or painful urination, together comprising an illness called Reiter's syndrome. This illness can last for months or even years, and it can be followed by chronic arthritis.
People who have a compromised immune system, the elderly, and the very young are at increased risk if they contract Salmonella. For them, the Salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other sites in the body. The infection can be fatal if the person is not treated promptly with antibiotics.
If you or your family member ate peanut butter or a food product containing peanuts and then contracted a Salmonella infection, you should know your legal rights. Contact us today to arrange a consultation with a lawyer who has experience with Salmonella and other types of food poisoning.
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