14 Sickened After Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Morgan Park Restaurant
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Department of Public Health announced Friday a salmonella outbreak linked to a Morgan Park barbecue restaurant on Chicago's Far South Side.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said at least 14 people are sick and six of them had to be hospitalized. CBS 2's Mai Martinez has more.
Following a request from their office, Best BBQ, located in the 1600 block of 115th Street, voluntarily closed Friday.
The CDPH said the outbreak was detected after reviews of lab reports revealed an uptick in salmonella cases.
After contacting patients, officials determined several of them ate at Best BBQ recently.
The health department recommends customers who are experiencing symptoms seek medical attention and tell the doctor about the possibility of salmonella.
According to the CDPH, salmonella is a bacteria that can be treated with antibiotics. Most people infected develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps between 12 and 72 hours after infection.
"If they are having diarrhea, abdominal cramps, running a high fever. If they ate at this restaurant or even if they didn't, they should go and see a doctor, see their provider to get a test," said Allison Arwady, Chicago Department of Public Health.
The health department said Best BBQ is fulling cooperating with the investigation and addressing any possible contamination issues.
No word yet on when the restaurant will reopen.