635706784034234882-new-Tarheel-QAccording to the North Carolina Department of Health, 248 cases of diarrheal illness associated with Salmonella and eating food from Tarheel Q Restaurant have been identified.

Of these 248, case distribution includes 19 North Carolina counties and 5 states. Of the North Carolina cases 72% of cases are residents of Davidson County and Davie County.

Laboratory testing indicates that the BBQ sample and a sample from a patient who became ill during the beginning of the outbreak are both positive for Salmonella species. The serogroup was found to be Typhimurium. Both samples have the same PFGE pattern (i.e. DNA fingerprint). Over 50 additional clinical specimens are pending results at the state lab.

Of these 248 cases:

55% are male

41% are between the ages of 20 and 49

20% have visited their provider

13% have visited the ED

6% have been hospitalized

1 death has been identified (Further details regarding the deceased are not available to protect patient confidentiality.)

79% of cases had illness onset dates between Tuesday, June 16, 2015, and Sunday, June 21, 2015.

On Monday 100 people prayed to have the restaurant reopen (which it did today).  Also, the local paper did an Op-ed taking a swing at those damn “out-of-state lawyers” filing lawsuits against a local business and perhaps putting it out of business.