State health officials link salmonella outbreak to Woodbury juice bar

State health officials have traced a number of recent salmonella cases to a juice bar in the east metro.

According to a release from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the outbreak occurred at Nékter Juice Bar in Woodbury, sickening nine people.

Officials say the patients became ill between Aug. 27 and Sept. 21. Two were hospitalized, but "all are recovering." 

MDH believes that the number of people sickened by this outbreak is "likely to be larger than the number of cases identified," as many people infected by salmonella do not seek medical treatment or get tested.

For that reason, officials are asking anyone who develops symptoms after consuming items from Nékter to mention this outbreak to their healthcare provider.

Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever, and usually appear within 12 to 96 hours after exposure, but can sometimes present up to two weeks afterwards. 

The investigation of the outbreak found that the patients had a variety of menu items, including juices, smoothies and bowls, from mid-August to Sept. 20. 

Since the cases were identified, Nékter has cleaned, sanitized and restocked ingredients, MDH says. 

Investigators continue to work on "identifying a specific food item source of the outbreak."

MDH had this to say about salmonella infections and the health risks they pose:

Salmonella infections usually clear in five to seven days, but 28% of laboratory-confirmed cases require hospitalization. Many Salmonella infections in otherwise healthy people do not require medical treatment. More serious infections occasionally occur. For those who seek health care, most do not require antibiotics. However, antibiotic treatment may be warranted in some cases. If you’ve consumed these products, become ill and are concerned about your health, consult your health care provider.

The department notes that Minnesota has about 700-1000 salmonella infections every year.