'I thought I was going to die and then had 10 days of hell': Adelaide man tells of horror salmonella case after eating pre-packed salad
An Adelaide man has told of the moment he thought he was going to die and his '10 days of hell' after contracting salmonella after eating Woolworths Select Salad Mix.
Rob McKibbin, 61, passed out and became very ill on Sunday, January 31 after eating a meal of curried egg and the pre-packed salad product, which is now part of a nationwide recall on Coles and Woolworths salad products.
The law graduate who lives in Golden Grove was taken to Modbury Hospital after collapsing at home last Wednesday night.
Doctors confirmed that he was suffering from salmonella.
Mr McKibbin told Yahoo7: “I have just come through 12 days of misery and finally am recovering. The infection is believed to hang around for a while.
Rob McKibbin, 61, from Adelaide. Photo: LinkedIn
"I got really sick the day after eating the curried egg and salad. I went downhill very quickly, the stomach spasms were excruciating, the pain level was 11 out of 10.
"Everyday after eating that meal was the same, every 20 to 30 minutes I was running to the toilet and was totally unable to eat, the only up side of this whole thing has been that I have lost some weight. Its the most rapid weight loss programme I have had.
"At about 3am on last Wednesday I passed out and my other half took me to hospital. I thought I was dying and I thought 'Well goodbye life’. The worst thoughts go through your mind, everything went black and I didn't know where I was.
"The hospital gave me medicine and now I am at home riding it out. It was a relief to be told that it wasn't something worse than salmonella."
The illness has halted Mr McKibbin's hopes of beginning law training after he recently graduated from a law degree.
He has also been told to avoid contact with his grandchildren following the debacle.
News of Mr McKibbin's experience comes as the number of suspected salmonella cases linked to pre-packaged lettuce has almost doubled in Victoria.
He has contacted class action lawyers Maurice Blackburn to investigate his options after doctors confirmed the salmonella poisoning.
"The doctors narrowed it down to the curried egg meal but I had no idea it was the salad which would have caused all this. It was only after seeing the recall on television did it all make sense."
Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services has received reports of 54 cases of salmonella anatum strain linked to pre-packed lettuce distributed by Victorian-based company Tripod Farmers.
The figure has rapidly grown since news of 28 cases came on Thursday afternoon.
Anyone who has bought any of the affected lettuce mixes with a best-before date leading up to February 14 should return them to the store, or throw them out.
Senior medical adviser Finn Romanes said on Thursday the Victorian department had been assured there was no risk associated with the products after that date.
Supa-Salad Supa-mix, and Wash & Toss salad mix are among the products recalled. Photo: 7 News
TriPod Farmers managing director Frank Ruffo says the company has been given the go-ahead by health authorities to resume business after a site inspection at its Bacchus Marsh plant.
"We apologise to our customers and anyone affected by this recall," Mr Ruffo said on Friday.
He said the recall affected only lettuce with use-by dates up to and including February 14.
Originally the outbreak was said to affect only the pre-packaged lettuce sold at supermarkets, but Lite n' Easy customers are now also warning the lettuce recall will affect some lunches in their menu this week.
Lite n' Easy has dumped the lettuce supplier following the recall.
Sandwiches sold at 7-Eleven have also been recalled.
Mentone Girls Grammar School said souvlaki and burgers sold at its canteen on Thursday used some of the potentially tainted lettuce.
"We felt really unlucky about the whole thing. We ran out of lettuce and nipped down the road," acting school president Kay McCulloch told 3AW.
"It was used in 18 souvlakis or burgers, but no girls have reported feeling sick."
Opposition leader Bill Shorten told reporters in Frankston he liked lettuce, especially the dark-stemmed kind.
"I'm sure Coles and Woolworths will get on top of this outbreak of food poisoning but I don't think people should give up on lettuce because of a salmonella outbreak," he said on Friday.
The cause of the outbreak is unknown.
RECALLED PRODUCTS (Use-by date up to and including 14 February)
Woolworths Baby Spinach 100g
Woolworths Baby Rocket 100g
Woolworths Gourmet Mix 100g
Woolworths Fresh Cut Loose Baby Spinach 1kg
Woolworths Fresh Cut Salad Loose Mesculin 1kg
Wash N Toss Watercress 100g
Wash N Toss Sorrel 50g
Wash N Toss Baby Cos 100g
Wash N Toss Baby Spinach 100g
Wash N Toss Salad Mix 100g
Wash N Toss Wild Rocket 100g
Wash N Toss Kale 100g
Coles Australian Baby Spinach 60g
Coles Australian Baby Rocket 60g
Coles Australian Baby Rocket 120g
Coles Australian Spinach & Rocket 120g
Coles Australian Baby Spinach 120g
Coles Australian 4 Leaf Salad 120g
Coles Australian 4 Leaf Salad 200g
Supa Salad Supa salad 180g
Supa Salad Green Coral 180g
Supa Salad Supamix 1kg
Supa Salad Spinach 1kg
Supa Salad Rocket 1kg
Supa Salad Baby Cos 1kg
Supa Salad ALH 1kg
Supa Salad Spinach 180g
Clear Film Blend
Clear Film Spinach
Clear Film Baby Cos
