The Latest:
Cabarrus County health officials say tests results from the Center for Disease Control have confirmed the source of what made hundreds sick following a church BBQ on November 1st in Kannapolis.
The CDC results showed a positive test for C. perfringens in the Brunswick Stew, according to officials. C. perfringens is a common cause for food poisoning and infection that often occurs when foods are prepared in large quantities and kept warm for a long time before serving.
Health officials say samples of BBQ pork, cole slaw and BBQ sauce were also tested, but came back negative.
Anyone who still has leftovers or additional food from the event are advised to dispose of it immediately.
Officials say anyone infected with C. perfringens will develop diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 6 to 24 hours (typically 8 to 12 hours). The illness usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours.
Update (11/5/18):
The Cabarrus County Health Alliance says tests are being done to determine what may have caused a large number of people to become ill following a church BBQ last Thursday.
As of 11am on Monday, November 5, the CHA says they have received roughly 200 emails with reports on around 468 people associated with the BBQ. Of those people reporting, 62% have experienced illness and 38% have not.
Officials say food and stool samples have been collected and are being tested at the state lab. At this time, the CHA does not believe the illness is transmittable from person-to-person.
The CHA says Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church has been fully cooperative with the investigation. Anyone seeking medical guidance is advised to contact their physician.
Original Story (11/2/18):
KANNAPOLIS, NC — Officials with the Cabarrus County Health Alliance are investigating after multiple people reported getting sick following a local church BBQ.
The illnesses reportedly included vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Officials say so far 13 people have come forward, all of whom say they had recently eaten from the Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church BBQ.
Health Alliance officials say this is a small number of cases considering the thousands of people who ate there, but the similarity of symptoms, on-set and food source does warrant an investigation into the matter.
“We are encouraging anyone who ate at the church BBQ on November 1, 2018 to throw away any food they may have taken home with them,” says Erin Shoe, Chief Operating Officer at CHA. “We’ve talked with people who ate there who are sick and we’ve talked to people who ate there and are not sick. We cannot say with absolute certainty that food from the BBQ is the culprit, but we do think it’s important to let the community know just in case they have left overs.”
Officials say anyone who experiences these same symptoms should stay hydrated and seek medical attention if they do not improve within 24 hours or if they also have a chronic medical condition.
Anyone who at the BBQ can assist in the investigation by emailing their name and contact information to investigation@cabarrushealth.org.
