What Firefly Needs to Do to Reopen after Salmonella Outbreak

The Southern Nevada Health District released a report on how their epidemiologists are handling the salmonella outbreak at Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar that shut down the restaurant on April 26. Reports vary, but at least 89 people were stricken with salmonella after eating at the restaurant between April 21-24.

By Wednesday, April 24, 14 victims reported their illness in the morning and another 19 called in their symptoms that afternoon. Eight reported their illness after SNHD shut down the restaurant on April 26. SNHD identified some of the victims by using contact information from OpenTable.

Forty employees worked the dinner shift at Firefly on April 26. SNHD interviewed 33, including three who were ill with salmonella.

The SNHD inspection found numerous conditions could contribute to an outbreak of a foodborne disease and included inadequate holding of food, inadequate cooling, improper hand washing, employee bare hand contact with ready to eat food, improper food storage practices, improper cleaning practices and improper thawing of food.

The inspection included neighboring Dragonfly, which was also shut down with 47 demerits. Add to it the 44 demerits earned by Firefly and the restaurant really incurred 91 total violations.

SNHD collected 30 samples of foods that could have been the source of the illness.

At the time of the report, SNHD collected 14 stool samples and found "seven were positive for salmonella species, one was negative for salmonella, and results of six samples are pending."

In order to reopen, the restaurant will have to clean up the following:

1. Food-service workers who tested positive for salmonella must be excluded or restricted from work per the FDA Food Code, and will require approval from the SNHD to return to work.

2. Restaurant employees should also be cautioned about how salmonella is transmitted and be made aware of the heightened importance of hand hygiene through washing with soap and water.

3. Food service workers should also be educated to the ways to clean and sanitize food preparation surfaces.

4. The restaurants are advised to cook all potentially hazardous foods thoroughly. Menu items intended not to be cooked to the recommended temperatures should be noted on menus, with an appropriate warning to consumers about the potential health hazards of eating undercooked foods.

5. All suspected cases of salmonella infection related to this outbreak should be reported to the health authority at 702-759-1300.
· Now 90 Reportedly Stricken with Salmonella at Firefly [~ELV~]
· UPDATED: Salmonella Caused 39 People to Get Sick at Firefly [~ELV~]
· More on the Shutdown of Firefly for Food Poisoning [~ELV~]
· UPDATED: Firefly Shuts Down after 3 Dozen Cases of Food Poisoning Reported [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of Firefly [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of DOH Chronicles [~ELV~]