A south London restaurant has been identified as the source of part of a recent surge in salmonella cases in the city.
The Middlesex London Health Unit says 24 people contracted the bacterial infection after eating at Babylon Pizza and Shawarma on Wellington Rd. between August 18 and 25. Since the discovery, public health inspectors working with the restaurant owner, conducted a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the facility. They have also conducted daily inspections and continue to provide food handler education to staff at the restaurant.
“We rely on food premises operators to maintain the safety of the food they serve every day. Through our inspections, the education we provide and the resources we have available, there’s an expectation they’ll follow safe food handling practices,” says David Pavletic, manager of food safety and healthy environments at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “The measures Babylon’s owners have put in place since we started working closely with them, show their commitment to making sure proper food handling practices are in place.”
The health unit says there have been no cases of salmonella connected to the pizza and shawarma shop in anyone who dined there after August 25.
As of Tuesday, there have been 37 confirmed, six probable, and one suspected case of salmonella reported to the health unit since August 18. Nine of the cases were reported in September. On average, the health unit normally sees about nine cases throughout the month of August.
Symptoms of salmonella can last between four to seven days and can include sudden headache, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. Diarrhea begins six to 72 hours after contaminated food or beverages have been consumed. Most people recover without antibiotic treatment.
