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SANDY — A Sandy family whose son contracted salmonella after possibly eating a tainted cucumber is now suing the company they bought the produce from.
Utah and 26 other states were included in a recall on Sept. 4 of Salmonella-tainted cucumbers imported from Mexico. The cucumbers were imported by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, a California distributor, according to a Utah Department of Agriculture and Food spokesman.
More than 418 people got sick in 31 states, including 37 cases in Utah. The Center for Disease Control reported that 31 percent of the people were hospitalized and two have died from the outbreak.
William Marler, a lawyer with Food Safety Law Firm Marler Clark, is representing Sandy residents Meghann and Jess Mills. Marler said that the Mill's 5-year-old son Charlie became sick after eating an infected cucumber. Meghann Mills said Charlie started getting sick in mid-August, but she didn't find out why until last Monday.
"When you kid is sick and you don't know what's wrong, and you want to know, 'How did this happen?' or 'What can I do to make him feel better?' " she said. "It's terrible when your kid is sick and you don't know why."
Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever that begin between 12 hours and three days after exposure to the contamination. Children under age 5, people with weak immune systems and the elderly are especially vulnerable to a serious infection, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food reported.
"Salmonella is a nasty bacteria," Marler said. "Aside from the immediate symptoms like nausea and diarrhea, the bacteria can morph into a variety of chronic infections, spurring onsets of joint pain, arthritis, and in this case, a very severe urinary tract infection. The symptoms do tend to be more severe with victims whose immune systems are already compromised, such as infants and the elderly, but this can really happen to anyone. "
Mills said she hopes the lawsuit will bring stricter regulations for food companies.
