Los Amigos Mexican Grill is a well-known restaurant chain in the Boston area with locations in Somerville, West Roxbury, Brighton, Newton, and Brookline. As of Saturday May 20th, local authorities have made the decision to temporarily close down and suspend the health permits of both the Brighton and West Roxbury locations. The Brighton location has been shut down due to multiple reports of Salmonella that were linked to the restaurant. It is currently unknown how many customers have been affected and Boston health officials are continuing to investigate the outbreak. When inspecting the establishment, violations such as rodent droppings and mold were found. Following the detection of these atrocities at the Brighton location, the West Roxbury location was also investigated, where a variety of health code violations were discovered. These violations include mold in the walk-in refrigerator, rodent droppings, food being stored on the floor, and only one of the employees properly washing their hands when switching tasks. The West Roxbury location had also faced prior health code citations in January for not storing chicken at the right temperatures.
The Boston Public Health Commission urges any patron that visited the Brighton location from May 12th – May 18th to “monitor themselves for symptoms of Salmonella infection.”
It is currently unclear if and when either location will reopen its doors. The other three locations, however, remain open at this time.
Salmonella bacteria is among the most common causes of foodborne illness and the size of the outbreak is determined by the pathogen, contaminated food, and number of consumers. The most common courses of transmission of Salmonella bacteria include animal feces, food, and hands/touch. The most effective ways of preventing the spread of the bacteria are through proper hygiene and cooking animal products all the way through.
Salmonella symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, fever, and diarrhea and can be potentially life-threatening for infants, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems. In most instances, the recovery period is around four to seven days and medical attention should be sought if symptoms persist more than a week.
