Personal Injury Law

Crumland Farms Nursing home Maryland Salmonella Outbreak - sickens seven and kills one

By Bill Marler, Esq.

Karen Gardner of the Frederick News Post posted an article last night; 'Salmonela Outbreak Sickens Eight at Frederick Nursing Home.' She noted that the 'residents [were] infected over four months.'

Salmonella sickened eight people at Homewood at Crumland Farms nursing home in Frederick from July to early this month, according to the Frederick County Health Department. One person died after being hospitalized for salmonella, although Homewood's executive director, Eric Nichols, said the death was from other complications. A second person hospitalized for the infection has returned to the home.

Salmonella, a microscopic bacteria, is spread from person to person through feces or food. It can be triggered by eating meat or poultry not cooked to the proper temperature. "The last onset of a case was in early November," said Darlene Armacost, communicable disease program manager for the Frederick County Health Department. "We are still monitoring the situation."

Eight sick over four months?  Sounds like a shelf-stable product of a real problem with cross-contamination.  Also, no mention of the serotype of the Salmonella and if it might be linked to one of several foodborne illness outbreaks over the last months.  Retirement and Day Care settings are quite vulnerable once a bug like Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7 enters the facility.  Here are some examples over the ages:

Peanut Corporation of America Peanut Butter Salmonella Outbreak – Nationwide

Viva Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak - Nationwide

CCC Alternative Learning Daycare E. coli Outbreak – Texas

Kindercare E. coli Outbreak – California

Kid's Korner Daycare E. coli Outbreak – Missouri

Peninsula Village E. coli Outbreak - Tennessee

Sodexho Spinach E. coli Outbreak - California

Full post as published by Marler Blog on November 24, 2010 (boomark / email).