Barton County Health Director Shelly Schneider informed the Barton County Commissioners Monday that a foodborne illness surfaced within in the county earlier this month that caused several people to endure what she referred to as “violent” symptoms.

Schneider was limited to what she could say about the illness because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), but said it came from a food vendor unbeknownst to the vendor.

Shelly Schneider Audio

The foodborne illness was believed to be staphylococcus aureus (staph) from the infected food delivered to the vendor. Staph is a well-known bacteria that lives on the skin, but Schneider says the fact that it broke down into toxins turned it into a foodborne illness.

There were 53 people that could have been affected by the illness, and Schneider said there were 27 individuals that reported problems from the food.

Shelly Schneider Audio

Schneider mentioned the incident happened on a Friday afternoon prior to a holiday this month (most likely November 9 before Veterans Day).

Schneider commended the response of her staff and those at the University of Kansas Health System hospitals for handling the quick response to the ill patients.

The Health Director reminds everyone that it is not a good idea to thaw food on the counter and that everyone should use refrigeration to thaw food.