NH DHHS Provides Update on Salmonella Cases Following Restaurant Closure

Concord, NH –The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services (DPHS), in collaboration with the City of Manchester Department of Health, is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella infections. As of May 22, 2022, seven persons with Salmonella Enteriditis infection have been identified who also reported eating at Buba Noodle Bar, located at 36 Lowell Street in Manchester, prior to their illness. One case was hospitalized and there have been no deaths. Several other people with Salmonella infection are currently under investigation. Buba Noodle Bar voluntarily closed on May 20, 2022 while a public health investigation is conducted, and the restaurant is partnering with public health to help determine a source for the infections.

“Anybody who develops a gastrointestinal illness within 7 days after eating at the Buba Noodle Bar restaurant should contact their primary care provider for Salmonella testing,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. “Symptoms of a Salmonella infection most commonly include fever, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms usually will improve without antibiotics; however, more serious infection can occur.”

Salmonella is estimated to cause 1.35 million infections a year in the United States, and an average of 172 infections annually in New Hampshire. Symptoms may include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramping. Salmonella is most commonly spread when a person eats contaminated food or from not washing their hands after touching animals or food items known to carry the bacteria. Most people with Salmonellosis, the infection caused by Salmonella bacteria, get better within 3 to 7 days.

You can help protect yourself and others from Salmonella infection by:

• Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water especially after using the toilet or changing diapers, feeding or petting animals, before eating, preparing, or handling food, and before giving yourself or someone else medicine.
• Not preparing food for others, providing healthcare, or providing childcare while you are sick.
• Properly prepare food by separating raw from ready to eat foods and store perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer. Salmonella is more common in the summer with warmer temperatures and unrefrigerated foods. For more food safety tips visit: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/.
• Staying home from school, work, and other events when you are sick.
• Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in your home and office, especially areas after someone vomits or has diarrhea.

Anyone with questions about Salmonella can speak to their healthcare provider or call the New Hampshire Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at (603) 271-4496. Additional information about Salmonella is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/salmonella/.