Salmonella Food Poisoning from Mango Results in First Lawsuit

What is believed to be the first food poisoning lawsuit filed as a result of a recent mango salmonella outbreak has been filed on behalf of a 92 year old woman, who was hospitalized in late August after eating a recalled Daniella mango.

The complaint (PDF) was filed on Thursday against Splendid Products, by Dorothy Pearce in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

According to a statement released by the law firm that filed the case, Marler Clark, this is the first lawsuit filed as a result of the outbreak, which has reportedly sickened more than 100 people nationwide.

Allegations raised in the complaint indicate that Pearce developed nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping after eating a mango, and was subsequently diagnosed with the same strain of Salmonella Braenderup that resulted in a Daniella mango recall that was announced late last month.

Pearce is one of six residents of Washington state confirmed to have suffered the illness. Most of the 104 confirmed U.S. victims have been in California, but the outbreak has been tracked across 16 states. In addition, another 21 illnesses have been reported in Canada.

Both whole mangos and processed foods that contain mangos have been affected by the recall, which has hit major store chains such as Giant, Wal-Mart, Wawa and Trader Joe’s. At least a dozen other companies have recalled products following Splendid’s initial recall.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning. While most healthy adults recover within a few days or weeks, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.