ELKO, Nev. (AP) — State health officials have concluded a salmonella outbreak in Elko this spring that sickened more than two dozen people and prompted a federal lawsuit from one who was hospitalized for days was likely caused by eggs served at a local casino restaurant although no eggs tested positive for the bacteria.
The Elko Daily Free Press reports a local hospital initially identified 12 cases of salmonella March 8-11.
The Department of Health and Human Services ultimately confirmed 29 cases and identified nine others that were "probable."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration assisted in subsequent testing and detected no definite salmonella species in 107 egg samples at The Grille at the Gold Dust West casino. But the report says the case study coupled with a probability analysis showed "strong epidemiologic evidence" the eggs were the potential source of infection.