Health officials are investigating a possible foodborne illness outbreak linked to a shared meal at the Lebanon site. No cause has been identified, and Walmart says none of its products were involved.
Nineteen people were taken to hospital after a suspected food poisoning incident at a Walmart distribution centre in Lebanon, Tennessee, local broadcasters WKRN, WTVF and WSMV reported. The Wilson County Emergency Management Agency said about 25 to 30 people were assessed at the scene. Responders had first been told that 80 or more people were affected. WTVF reported that the incident followed a potluck meal. The Tennessee Department of Health has not named a cause.
The emergency response
Responders were initially sent to a report of one sick female employee, but the number needing help rose quickly. The incident happened overnight between Thursday 8 and Friday 9 October, according to the research notes. Workers reportedly told emergency staff they had eaten two to three hours before they became ill. Symptoms included nausea and vomiting.
WTVF cited 911 calls from the incident. In one, a caller said an employee was vomiting and experiencing fatigue. Another described at least four associates as “very ill” as the numbers grew. In a call shared by WSMV, the dispatcher said a second ambulance was being sent because of the rising need.
Wilson County Emergency Management Agency, Mount Juliet Emergency Medical Services and Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services all responded. Maegan Eldridge, a public information officer for Wilson County EMA, told WKRN that individual food poisoning calls were fairly common, but a medical incident of this size was unusual. She said extra ambulances were requested as responders learned how many patients there might be.
Emergency staff assessed those reporting symptoms and checked their vital signs to decide who needed an ambulance. Some people could seek treatment independently or stay at the scene. That explains why the number reporting illness differs from the number taken to hospital.
Early reports suggested as many as 120 people were sick, and some early coverage mentioned about 30 hospitalisations. Those figures were not confirmed. The officials’ figures are 25 to 30 assessed and 19 taken to hospital.
The investigation
The Tennessee Department of Health told People it is “investigating a possible foodborne illness outbreak linked to a meal” at the centre, working with the Mid-Cumberland Regional Health Office and the Wilson County Health Department. It has not identified a cause, and the investigation continues.
One 911 call, reported by WKRN, said an employee had been vomiting for about 15 minutes, possibly because of “homemade rice that was brought into the facility”. The rice has not been confirmed as a cause, and no laboratory result has been published. The caller’s remark is not an investigative finding, and other foods served at the meal may also be under investigation.
Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer, wrote in Food Poison Journal that rapid vomiting could be consistent with toxins from Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus. The first typically causes symptoms within 30 minutes to eight hours, and the second’s vomiting form within 30 minutes to six hours. He noted that Bacillus cereus can be linked to improperly stored cooked rice. Norovirus, which typically takes 12 to 48 hours, is another possibility. These are possibilities and not confirmed findings.
Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, described how officials usually investigate such outbreaks. They interview workers about what they ate, compare sick and unaffected workers, collect any remaining food for laboratory analysis, obtain patient samples and examine how food was stored, prepared and handled. These are expected procedures, not confirmation that each step has been carried out.
Walmart’s response
A Walmart spokesperson told People: “The health and safety of our associates is a top priority. We’re working with local emergency management and health officials as they investigate.”
WKRN reported that the retailer said none of its food products were involved and that there was no risk to the public. The research notes add that the site is not open to customers, that the company has identified no risk to products in the warehouse or at nearby stores, and that no recall has been connected to the incident.
The condition of the 19 people taken to hospital is unclear. It has not been confirmed whether all have been discharged, and there are no verified details about intensive care admissions, lasting complications or deaths.
