Burrito Salmonella Outbreak Increases To 35 Cases: Weld Co.

GREELEY, CO -- The number of confirmed Salmonella cases linked to two Weld County restaurant locations jumped from 21 to 35, the department of health announced Thursday. The source of the foodbourne illness outbreak has been linked to Burrito Delight restaurants in Fort Lupton and Dacono, both of which voluntarily closed on Feb. 22, when the outbreak was first linked to food from the sites.

The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE) has still not located the specific source of the outbreak, and laboratory testing results of the employees will not be available until Monday, the department said.

The total number of people with confirmed cases who reportedly ate food catered by Burrito Delight at Aims Community College in Greeley has risen to 17 cases. Thirteen people were confirmed to have Salmonella who ate food at an Aims event Feb. 13, and four people who dined at a Feb. 6 event had confirmed cases. More than 450 people attended the two events at Aims, health officials said.

As of Thursday, Salmonella cases linked to Burrito Delight were reported in five counties. Weld County had 27 cases; Larimer County had three; Boulder County had two cases and there were one case each reported in Morgan and Adams County, the health department said. Four people have been hospitalized.

Of people who ate food at or from the restaurants, 13 cases have been confirmed of people who dined at the Fort Lupton location, and five people have been confirmed who ate carryout food.

The Weld County health department warned people who had eaten food from Burrito Delight restaurants to watch for symptoms of Salmonella:

Symptoms of Salmonella illness include diarrhea, upset stomach, fever, and occasionally vomiting.
Symptoms typically last 4 to 7 days, and most people recover on their own. Anyone who continues to
have symptoms should contact their health care provider. For some people, the diarrhea may become
so severe that they require hospitalization. Symptoms typically appear 6-72 hours after eating
contaminated food and will typically last for 4 to 7 days without treatment. However, in severe cases,
the symptoms may last longer.

Patch was unable to contact the owners of the restaurants for comments.

Read more on Patch:

Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 21; Linked To Colorado Burrito Chain

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