A Rhode Island man in his 80s who tested positive for salmonella in an outbreak that may be linked to a Johnston bakery has died.
According to Health Department spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth, the man died on March 23. He was from Providence County.
The man tested positive for the same strain of salmonella that has sickened 39 people (38 in Rhode Island, 1 in Massachusetts). Beardsworth said 24 of those people have been hospitalized.
Health officials said the common thread appears to be the consumption of zeppoles, an Italian pastry similar to the doughnut, made by DeFusco's Bakery in Johnston. They say the pastry shells had been stored in used egg crates, which could have exposed them to infected raw eggs.
Last Friday, the Health Department announced a recall of baked goods sold at DeFusco's Bakery following an inspection of the Johnston store. Officials said they found pastry cream used in zeppoles and éclairs was stored at unsafe temperatures.
"There were five gallon buckets of pastry cream that were too warm. They weren't being stored properly," Beardsworth said.
Starting Tuesday, anyone with questions about the outbreak can call 401-222-8022 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to speak with health department staff members.
The owner of DeFusco's voluntarily closed the bakery until further notice.
Health officials said anyone who ate a tainted zeppole and experienced nausea, vomiting or diarrhea should see their doctor immediately.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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