Food Poisoning Bulletin
September 25, 2015 by
Carla Gillespie
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken the lead in
the investigation of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak linked to Fig
& Olive restaurants. The agency is working in collaboration with
health officials in various states.
The Washington DC Department
of Health (DOH) and Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) are among the
agencies collaborating on the investigation. DFS has collected and
tested food and environmental samples taken from Fig & Olive in DC’s
CityCenter. So far, 45 food samples and 15 environmental samples have
been negative for Salmonella. Results on 10 other tests are still
pending.
DOH has interviewed 135 people who became ill after
eating at the restaurant. Those who became ill are from DC, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois and Alabama. Fourteen cases of
salmonellosis have been confirmed. Interviews are ongoing.
Some of
those who became ill ate at the restaurant over Labor Day weekend.
After illnesses were reported, the restaurant closed for six days and
was cleared to reopen September 16 after it had been sanitized,
employees debriefed, food discarded and problematic menu items retired.
Case patients reported eating truffle fries or mushroom croquettes,
those items have been removed from the menu. Since the reopening, DOH
has made two visits, September 16 and September 18, to monitor employee
training and food handling procedures.
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Food Poisoning Bulletin
Fig & Olive DC Salmonella Outbreak Includes Cases From MD, PA, VA, IL & AL
September 24, 2015 by
Carla Gillespie
The
Salmonella outbreak at the Fig & Olive in Washington DC’s City
Center sickened more than 60 people in five states and the District of
Columbia. Case patients were from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Illinois and Alabama, health officials told Food Poisoning Bulletin
today.
The outbreak, which began over Labor Day weekend, may have
sickened as many as 150 people. Several people were so sick they
required hospitalization.
The DC location was closed for six days
for cleaning and staff training. When it reopened, two items were no
longer on then menu, truffle fries and mushroom croquettes.
Fig
& Olive operates several restaurants in NewYork, two in California,
one in Chicago and one in Washington DC. Health officials in New York
City, Chicago and Newport Beach, California told Food Poisoning Bulletin
that no illnesses have been reported in association with Fig &
Olive restaurants in those locations. But Salmonella illnesses were also
reported in association with the California restaurant on Melrose Place
in West Hollywood.
There are nine confirmed cases and three
suspected. Of the confirmed cases, six are patrons and three are
employees. Truffle oil is a suspected food source in the California
outbreak as well. Fig & Olive makes its own truffle oil.
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