Salmonella Strikes a Children's Summer Camp!

7/19/2016 (Permalink)

Crew chief Gary applying a disinfectant in the form of a fog for better penetration.

Summer is usually a great time for families as it gives them the opportunity to spend some quality time together outdoors. But in this case, what was supposed to be a great summer camp for kids, turned into a discomforting experience.

THE STORY 

As a group young teens get together at their summer camp and settle in, something else was also settling in. A couple of the children were misfortunate and contracted salmonella food poisoning. Salmonella is a bacteria commonly found in undercooked eggs and poultry and once contracted the person will experience diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days and most people with a healthy immune system don’t need hospitalization, however, the symptoms can be very severe causing them to seek medical help. The camp was not taking any risks of spreading the bacteria to other children so they sent the children back and called in the professionals…

THE CALL OUT

 We received the call and immediately understood the importance of taking care of this situation properly and promptly. Christopher quickly schedules an inspection to commence work when the children are no longer present and takes note of the points of interest as he walks though the many rooms with multiple bunk beds. It was the right call to send the children home regardless of the inconvenience. With so many rooms and such tight quarters it was only a matter of time before the problem would spread among the children. Soon Gary is on the scene and executes his plan of action. Using an EPA approved disinfectant all areas that would come in contact with the children (most everything) were wiped down giving detailed attention to the restrooms and finally creating a fog with a very safe and strong disinfectant that would blanket all areas and surfaces to eliminate all threats. When it comes to our client’s safety and wellbeing, SERVPRO of West Riverside City takes no chances.