The Public Health Department of the City of Chicago is investigating an extensive outbreak of salmonellosis attributed to consumption of meals from Carniceria Guanajuato. To date, there have been 55 confirmed cases with 17 hospitalizations. It is generally accepted that at least ten incident cases occur for each diagnosed and confirmed case of Salmonella infection, suggesting that the outbreak may be more extensive than denoted by the current public health data.
The restaurant kitchen was inspected during early September disclosing mishandling of ingredients with the potential for raw beef and uncooked eggs to contaminate ready-to-eat ingredients. A follow-up visit on September 14th resulted in a recommendation to enhance cleaning and to install thermometers in coolers. The kitchen is now closed pending further investigations as to the vehicle of infection.