Woman hospitalized after eating at Stoney Creek restaurant speaks out

An investigation continues into the cause of a salmonella outbreak linked to a Stoney Creek restaurant that has sent at least seven people to hospital.

Hamilton Public Health is working to determine how the infection spread at the Piper Arms restaurant, which currently has no scheduled date to reopen.

One Stoney Creek woman, who asked not to be identified, said she and her husband fell ill the day after eating at the establishment two weeks ago.

“My husband and I — I started first and didn’t feel well,” she said. “I had the chills, the shakes. And then, about half an hour later my husband started. And we started with violent diarrhea, and we initially thought it was just the flu.”

The couple ended up in hospital with severe complications. While her husband suffered from kidney issues, the woman experienced chest pains so intense she was rushed by ambulance to hospital.

“I was woken up by something that felt like my husband was standing on my chest,” she said. “I couldn’t feel my arm and it wrapped around into the back of my left-hand side.”

Following a series of tests, a cardiologist informed her they believed she was having a heart attack. Doctors eventually determined both she and her husband had contracted salmonella.

Dr. Brendan Lew, Hamilton’s associate medical officer of health, confirmed there have been nine cases of salmonella connected to the restaurant.

“Whether or not the infections are possible to have occurred elsewhere is to be determined as there’s not necessarily a specific cause that’s been identified within that setting to this point,” Lew said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

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Keith Warriner, a microbiologist with the University of Guelph, said while the bacteria is common — causing thousands of infections every year — some strains can be life-threatening.

“If it gets invasive you can suffer dehydration from the diarrhea, you can get blood septicemia poisoning, you get meningitis, it can infect the organs,” Warriner said. “So it can get very serious.”

The bacteria is typically spread through undercooked food or contamination from unwashed hands. Warriner advised diners to watch for “telltale signs” such as undercooked meat.

“If someone gives you a raw chicken wing, for example, you should send it back. Don’t take risks with it,” he said.

Public health officials have not yet linked the outbreak to a specific food item.

The Stoney Creek woman said she and her husband are now recovering at home, but she remains concerned about long-term health effects.

“I’m still extremely tired. I still have chest pains. I’m not yet able to exert myself by any means,” she said. “I’m young, I was healthy, I’m scared what comes next.”

She encouraged residents to check the city’s public health website for restaurant inspection records before dining out.

Management at Piper Arms said they are cooperating fully with city officials. The restaurant is awaiting a review of the health department’s tests and expects to issue a statement once results are available.

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