Maryland Department of Health Maryland Department of Health investigating cluster of salmonella infections

September 26, 2019

Media Contact:

Maureen Regan, Deputy Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-8649

Maryland Department of Health investigating cluster of salmonella infections

Consumers advised not to eat hummus purchased from Moby Dick House of Kabob

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is investigating a cluster of salmonella infections in individuals who all reported eating at Moby Dick House of Kabob restaurant, which has multiple locations in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Since September 10, nine confirmed cases have been reported in Maryland. The exact cause of the infections has not been determined and the investigation is ongoing, but eight of nine cases reported consuming Moby Dick House of Kabob hummus.

At this time, Moby Dick House of Kabob has voluntarily suspended sale of hummus and MDH recommends that consumers discard hummus purchased from any Moby Dick House of Kabob. Individuals who have recently eaten food from Moby Dick House of Kabob and are experiencing any adverse medical symptoms should seek medical attention.

Most people infected with salmonella develop symptoms including diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within six hours to four days after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. Some people, including the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to experience severe illness and may require hospitalization. On average, there are 900 – 1000 confirmed salmonella infections reported in Maryland each year.

MDH continues to investigate this cluster and will provide updates as warranted. Additional information about salmonella infections is available at https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/index.html.

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/MDHealthDept and https://www.facebook.com/MDHealthDept.