Four cases of salmonella have been confirmed and another 36 are being investigated by Hamilton’s public health department.
Public health says it believes the cases are connected to the Eat a Pita restaurant on Main Street East at Kenilworth Avenue.
Dr. Chris Mackie, an associate medical officer of health, says the restaurant has been temporarily shut down, and may remain closed for days.
During a scheduled health inspection of Eat a Pita on Feb. 1, inspectors found that cooked chicken wasn’t being kept at a high enough temperature. Similar problems were discovered during a followup inspection on Thursday.
Mackie says that one case of salmonella and one case of gastrointestinal illness came to public health’s attention last Friday. Lab results confirmed the two cases were connected to the same facility as two others, leading health officials to declare a salmonella outbreak late Wednesday.
The decision was made to reach out publicly to those who might be affected by the outbreak.