FOOD

19 cases confirmed in salmonella outbreak at Old Town Fort Collins La Luz

Jacob Laxen
The Coloradoan

La Luz Mexican Grill remains closed after a salmonella illness outbreak hit the Old Town Fort Collins restaurant earlier this month.

Larimer County Health Department spokesperson Katie O’Donnell said that, as of Tuesday afternoon, there have been 19 confirmed cases of the outbreak with additional testing still pending for others.

La Luz Mexican Grill moved to its current Old Town Fort Collins location in 2013.

O'Donnell said officials haven’t been able to determine the exact cause of the outbreak.

The Old Town La Luz staff was scheduled to attend a ServSafe Food Handler Program training at The Cooking Studio on Tuesday — one stipulation the restaurant must complete to reopen.

Other La Luz-branded locations at 140 E. Boardwalk Drive in Fort Collins and 1518 Madison Ave. in Loveland have different owners and are unaffected by the outbreak.

Larimer County Health Department said it received the first complaint about the matter on Aug. 17. After additional complaints and further testing, La Luz voluntarily shut down on Aug. 21 — at the time six salmonella cases had been confirmed.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause infections affecting the intestinal tract, urinary tract, bloodstream and other body tissues.

The illness is often spread through food consumption and can be found in raw meats, eggs and produce. Salmonella can also be passed by people who are sick while handling food.

Symptoms including diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloody stool typically appear six to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts four to seven days.

Earlier this year, Burrito Delight locations in Fort Lupton and Dacono closed from mid-February to mid-March after a salmonella outbreak. The Weld County Health Department reported 37 confirmed illnesses confirmed in the case.

Larimer County Health Department officials conducted a routine surprise inspection of the Old Town La Luz on Aug. 17, rating the kitchen as "fair" while citing a number of temperature violations and observing multiple flies in the kitchen. A follow-up inspection on Aug. 22 had determined that the location had corrected its violations.

The Old Town La Luz was cited as "unacceptable" in its previous routine surprise inspection in January 2017, when it was cited for temperature and cleanliness violations.

La Luz debuted in 1997 and replaced Rasta Pasta in its current 200 Walnut St. spot in 2013.

Follow Jacob Laxen on Twitter and Instagram @jacoblaxen.