Brunswick's stew poisoned nearly 300 at the church barbeque

Bacteria in Brunswick's stew have poisoned nearly 300 people at a popular barbecue in a church in North Carolina, health officials said in a statement on Friday.

The bacterium – C. perfringens – "is a common cause of food poisoning and infection" that commonly develops "when foods are prepared in large quantities and kept warm long before they are served ", according to Cabarrus Health Alliance declaration.

That's what happened on November 1 at the barbecue of the Presbyterian church of the Poplar tent in Kannapolis, the statement said.

Health officials also tested the barbecue pork, coleslaw and barbecue sauce served at the event, but only Brunswick's stew cultures revealed the presence of the foul-smelling bacteria, according to the report. communicated.

In a statement on November 5, the Cabarrus Health Alliance said it received "more than 200 e-mails reporting 468 people. Of these, 62% said they were sick and 38% had no symptoms. This percentage of reported diseases rises to 290 people.

On November 7, the alliance sent "food and fecal samples" to the federal laboratories of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Public Health in New Brunswick, according to the website. Internet of the alliance.

Eliminate all leftovers in your refrigerator or barbecue freezer "because of the risk of cross-contamination," says the Cabarrus Health Alliance news release.

"People infected with C. perfringens develop diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 6 to 24 hours (usually between 8 and 12 hours)," says the Cabarrus Health Alliance statement. "The illness usually starts suddenly and lasts less than 24 hours."

Updates: www.cabarrushealth.org.

Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067; @jmarusak