The large outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning in Washington State, which has been linked to roasted pig, has grown to at least 134 cases, with over half of the victims, 84, confirmed in King County (including the greater Seattle area). The other victims are spread out over another nine counties, with Snohomish County reporting 24 victims, Pierce County (including the Tacoma area) reporting a dozen victims, and Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Mason, Thurston, and Yakima counties each reporting at least one confirmed case. Most of the victims report eating roasted pig at a private event or from a restaurant that was serving whole roasted pig.
As the reports started coming in, an intense trace back investigation was launched by investigators from the Washington State Department of Health (WSDH), which coordinated its efforts with the Seattle and King County Departments of Public Health and federal investigators from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The investigation and trace-back efforts focused on finding a common source that could link the disparate pig-roasting events, with investigators looking at meat markets, slaughter houses, and pig farms as a possible common denominator.
As the investigation continued, early indications kept pointing to Kapowsin Meats, a facility located at 29401 118th Ave E, in Graham, WA. The facility is located in Pierce County, one of the counties most affected more than any other counties except King and Snohomish counties. As a result of these findings, a team of investigators was sent to the Graham facility last week to take samples of the pork products on site. And now, in what some say is an initial breakthrough, these investigators have confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella in samples of pork taken from Kapowsin Meats.
The Salmonella Lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates are now investigating the outbreak linked to Kapowsin Meats. As Salmonella Lawyers, the firm files claims and lawsuits on behalf of victims of Salmonella food borne illnesses. The Salmonella Lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates have set up a Kapowsin Meats Claim Center at 1-888-335-4901.
