Some people ill from eating at Corunna food truck

The number of people sick with salmonella poisoning is growing in Lambton

Nine people are in hospital and 33 have confirmed cases of salmonella after outbreak linked to the Barakat restaurant in Sarnia.

Lambton’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade says the people affected range in age from nine months old to 73 years.

Ranade says both the number of people infected and their age ranges are “significant.” He says public health is “still working to identify what the source of that outbreak was. We have some lab samples and tests that we’re still waiting on.”

Ranade says customers who ate at the Lambton Mall Rd. restaurant and at a food truck Barakat operates in Corunna have both contracted salmonella. Both these locations have closed voluntarily.

Ranade says he doesn’t expect any orders to be issued against Barakat for the incident.

“At the time that we can… ensure ourselves that there’s no more ongoing risk than we’ll be working with the premises toward reopening. They’ve been very good to work with in this case,” says Ranade.

A further 170 people have reported symptoms that could indicate salmonella.

People consumed food from the restaurant and food truck between Oct. 19-29, but Ranade says 90 per cent of these cases occurred between Oct. 21-25.

Anyone who ate at either location during these dates and experiences symptoms of salmonella – which include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and vomiting – are asked to contact public health, and advised to contact their health care provider.

Public health hasn’t determined the reason for the outbreak yet.