An E. coli outbreak has been associated with Captain Al’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Gulfport, Mississippi. Dates of exposure were from December 16 to December 30, 2016. At least 50 people were sickened with acute gastroenteritis after eating at that restaurant, according to a State of Mississippi Health Department (MDH) news release. Our E. coli Lawsuit Team, have been contacted regarding this outbreak and is investigating. You can contact them at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or with our free consultation form.
Molecular testing at the Mississippi Public Health Laboratory has found non-Shiga-toxin producing E. coli bacteria in patient samples. The restaurant was closed by the health department on January 4, 2017.
The primary symptoms of people sickened in this outbreak are diarrhea (83%), stomach cramps (76%), chills (57%), headache (51%), nausea (39%), and fever (34%). Those are classic symptoms of an E. coli infection. Bloody stools were reported by 13% of cases. The incubation period in this outbreak ranged from 2 to 146.5 hours, with a median of 24 hours; the duration of illness is between 5 to 21 days, with a median of 10 days. Twenty-one people reported seeing a doctor at some point during their illness, and one individual has been hospitalized because their illness was so severe.
According to the health department statement, the causative bacteria have been identified as “types of E. coli referred to as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). These types of E. coli are not Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), but are known to cause significant diarrheal illness.” There is no word yet on what food item may have been the cause of this outbreak, or if an ill employee may have been working at the restaurant during the outbreak period.
The symptoms of an E. coli infection include mild fever, severe abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that is bloody and/or watery. Most people get sick within a few days to ten days after they are exposed to these pathogenic bacteria. Because the symptoms of this illness are so severe, most people do see a doctor and can accumulate significant medical bills.
A notice on Captain Al’s Facebook page acknowledges that an outbreak has occurred and that the restaurant will reopen today, January 12, 2016.
Lawsuit for Compensation
If you or a member of your family has been sickened in this outbreak, contact our experienced legal team for help. You can sue a restaurant for food poisoning. A lawsuit for compensation generally seeks amounts for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income (for the time you could not work), and other damages. You will need to contact our E.coli lawyers to ask them about a class-action lawsuit. We generally file individual suits because it is the best way to get our clients full compensation.
Our law firm has successfully represented many clients sickened with these pathogenic bacteria. We recently won a $7.55 million verdict on behalf of a child who was sickened with an E. coli infection that developed into hemolytic uremic syndrome (kidney failure) after a visit to a farm in Minnesota.