Seven people have been hospitalized with salmonella infections in an outbreak linked to Stoney Creek restaurant Piper Arms, Hamilton Public Health said Tuesday. 

A total of nine cases associated with customers of the restaurant were confirmed by public health, which is warning people who ate there recently to be vigilant.

The agency is also asking people to report and seek medical attention if they’re experiencing worsening symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting or abdominal cramps.

The restaurant has been temporarily closed.

After eating there for “wing night” on March 31, Kim Gibson says her sister and brother-in-law, both 50, were “healthy one day and severely sick two days later.”

The Stoney Creek couple faced increasingly severe stomach pains and diarrhea over several days and ended up in two different hospitals, one at Juravinski Hospital with kidney issues and the other at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton recovering from a salmonella blood infection and myocarditis, a heart condition.

Gibson says the situation has been hard on their children, aged 17 and 20. 

Both are out of the hospital now after several days, Gibson told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday. It’s been a shocking realization for the family to learn that a dinner at a restaurant could cause such severe illness, she said. “It’s crazy.”

Public health wants to hear from others who got sick

People confirmed as part of the salmonella outbreak faced the start of their symptoms between March 30 and April 5, according to Hamilton Public Health.

Salmonella is a bacteria typically found in raw or undercooked foods including “poultry, eggs, meat and unpasteurized products and can also spread through contaminated produce or improper food handling,” the agency said in the release. 

“Salmonella infection typically occurs 6 to 48 hours after exposure and can last several days,” it said. “Most individuals recover without treatment; however, young children, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems may be at higher risk of severe illness.”

The agency says people “who ate at the Piper Arms Stoney Creek and are experiencing symptoms” should:

• Seek medical attention if symptoms are severe or worsening. If you do not have a healthcare provider, call Health811 at 811.
• Stay home while ill to prevent spreading infection.
• Practice good hand hygiene.
• Report your illness to Hamilton Public Health by calling 905-546-2424 ext. 7970.

“Individuals who are not experiencing symptoms should continue to monitor for symptoms and practice good hand hygiene and safe food handling practices,” the statement said.

No ‘specific food item’ has been identified as the source

The Stoney Creek location of the company – which has several other locations including in Burlington and Brantford – opened in January, according to a “now open” post on the business’ Instagram account. It is located at 1786 Stone Church Rd. E., in a plaza near the intersection of Upper Mount Albion Road.

Public health agents ordered a temporary closure of the restaurant on Monday “to support the ongoing investigation and protect public health.” The agency said it conducted inspections there on Friday and Monday, reviewing food handling and sanitation practices. It also collected food samples for laboratory testing.

Public health said it has not identified anything that needs fixing so far.

“However, the closure allows Public Health to complete the investigation and ensure the premises is operating safely before reopening,” said the statement. “The investigation remains ongoing, and no specific food item has been confirmed as the source of illness.”

CBC Hamilton reached out to the local restaurant by phone and the chain by email on Tuesday but did not reach anyone as of the time of publication.

A notice posted on the restaurant’s door acknowledges “a reported illness concern,” saying the restaurant is undergoing a “full sanitization” and a review of its food handling procedures.

“The health and safety of our customers and staff is our top priority,” it says. “We are fully cooperating with public health officials and will reopen once we receive clearance.”

Gibson’s sister, now home from the hospital, also spoke to CBC Hamilton, but said she didn’t want to be named in an article after being targeted online when she initially posted about her illness.

“Trolls were bashing us, saying we shouldn’t be trying to destroy this restaurant,” she said Tuesday, adding she’s been in contact with several other patrons who also got sick. 

She said before this incident, she’d never been hospitalized or been in an ambulance. Now she will have to be monitored by a cardiologist for at least a year.

“I am just weak and tired,” she said.