Wal-Mart Salmonella Jalapeno Pepper Outbreak Lawsuit
Between April and August of 2009, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worked with state, local, and tribal health officials to investigate a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that initially was believed to have been caused by the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated tomatoes, and later was determined to have been caused by contaminated jalapeno and Serrano peppers.
By the end of August 2009, nvestigators had identified 1442 people who had become infected with Salmonella Saintpaul after eating contaminated jalapeno and Serrano peppers, and indicated that tomatoes may have been an additional source of infection at the beginning of the outbreak. At least 286 people were hospitalized with Salmonella Saintpaul infections during this outbreak, and two people’s deaths may have been caused by their Salmonella infections.
Marler Clark filed a Salmonella lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of a Colorado man who became ill after eating raw peppers purchased from the store in late June. Both the victim and the peppers he ate tested positive for Salmonella saintpaul. The lawsuit was filed on August 1, 2008 against Wal-Mart and its unknown supplier, “John Doe”. Wal-Mart tried unsuccessfully to have the case dismissed, and has now identified the supplier of the peppers as Frontera Produce of Texas. Frontera Produce has been added to the lawsuit.
PRESS RELEASES
Salmonella Saintpaul Lawsuit Filed Against Wal-Mart
Genetic Fingerprinting and the Tomato-Salmonella Outbreak
Tomatoes and Salmonella: A Look at Past Outbreaks
New Mexico Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Raw Tomatoes
