Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Salmonella outbreak linked to Binion’s

A November outbreak of salmonella at Binion's Horseshoe hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas appears to be under control, a Clark County Health District official says.

Felix Havis, the district's supervisor of Environmental Health, said out of 40 people thought to have salmonellosis poisoning, the 27 diagnosed cases appeared to have originated at one restaurant at Binion's.

Health District officials believe they have pinpointed the cause to the Coffee Shop, but they said they are investigating all of the casino's restaurants.

No supermarket poultry was involved.

The restaurant seems to have taken the necessary precautions so an outbreak doesn't occur again, Havis said.

There have been no new cases reported since Dec. 1.

"We at the Horseshoe are actively involved in assisting the health district in its efforts to determine the validity, cause, and origin of this illness," a Binion's press release said today.

Salmonella is a food-borne infection that causes abdominal cramps, mild to severe diarrhea, fever and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Symptoms usually last from one to two days, but may be prolonged depending on the dose ingested and the particular strain.

Havis said if people are concerned, they should contact their doctor immediately for treatment.

Salmonella is usually linked to improperly prepared foods including raw meats, poultry, milk and dairy products, fish, shrimp, frog legs, yeast, coconut, sauces and salad dressing, cake mixes, cream-filled desserts and toppings, dried gelatin, peanut butter, cocoa and chocolate.

The United States Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition estimates that from 2 to 4 million cases of salmonellosis occur in this country annually.

The center reports that cases appear to be rising both in the United States and other industrialized nations. There has been a dramatic rise in the last decade, especially in the northeastern part of the country. The increases appear to be spreading south and west.

Everyone is susceptible to salmonella, but infants, the elderly and AIDS patients are more likely to acquire symptoms and experience recurring episodes.

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