Firefly Restaurant Salmonella outbreak sickens 200: Health department investigation
In a follow up to a story last week, the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) reports that the salmonella outbreak at the Las Vegas restaurant, Firefly on Paradise is now up to 200 confirmed and probable cases, according to an Office of Epidemiology (OOE) report May 10.
This is up from greater than 80 cases reported a week ago.
Firefly on Paradise Road
Image/Video Screen Shot
Health officials inspected both the Firefly on Paradise located at 3900 Paradise Road and the adjacent affiliated restaurant Dragonfly on Paradise.
Environmental health staff collected various food items, including calamari, garlic cream sauce and shrimp to name a few during the inspection for possible testing to determine whether one or more food item(s) could have been the source of the illness.
After initial suspicions of raw unpasteurized egg-based aioli sauce as being the source of the outbreak, epidemiologic analysis ruled out that suspicion.
Health officials report no single menu item appeared to be the likely source for the outbreak.
Surveillance results reveal 200 people (196 customers and 4 staff) became ill after eating at Firefly during April 21-26, 2013.
This includes patrons from 20 states (AZ, CA, CO, HI, IL, MA, MN, MS, NC, NE, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, WA) and two foreign countries (Canada, United Kingdom) who ate at Firefly during their visits to Las Vegas.
Health officials offered the restaurant several recommendations to follow including restricting employees positive for Salmonella from working, stressing hand hygiene, appropriate sanitizing of food preparation surfaces and proper cooking temperature and cooling.
The restaurant was one of Vegas’ most highly rated eateries on the review site Yelp.com. Health District spokeswoman Stephanie Bethel says it was shuttered April 26 and remains closed, according to an NBC report.
For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
Looking for a job in health care? Check here to see what’s available
Chagas in Black and White: T-shirts, coffee mugs and other merchandise featuring the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi
Giardia in Black and White: T-shirts, coffee mugs and other merchandise with a clean, computerized image of a Giardia intestinalis trophozoite
Blood flukes in Black and White : T-shirts, coffee mugs and other merchandise with a clean, computerized image of the three schistosomes
[…] According to an Epidemiology investigation report Wednesday, as of May 20, at least 290 patrons and 4 employees who consumed food and/or drinks at Firefly on Paradise Tapas restaurant during April 21-26, 2013 have been identified to be confirmed or probable cases of Salmonella infection. This is up from 200 cases on May 10. […]