Two of Over 500 Sick from Taste of Chicago Sue Pars Cove

Jenny Albano

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As of Monday afternoon, 529 people had reported they were infected with salmonella from the Taste of Chicago festival. Of those who reported their illness, around 50 have been confirmed by lab tests, and 36 have been identified as Salmonella heidelberg which is a common strain. Now 17 people have been hospitalized for their symptoms.

City Health officials have only found one source of the salmonella outbreak. Everyone who reported being ill claimed they had eaten the hummus shirazi from the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine booth. Officials have ordered that the restaurant stop serving the hummus dish.

Two people who became ill from the hummus have decided to file a lawsuit against Pars Cove restaurant. Monique Roach and Willie Smith filed suits against the restaurant on Monday, claiming that Pars Cove did not properly inspect, store, or package the food that caused their illness. Roach is seeking more than $30,000 in damages, and Smith is claiming an unspecified lesser amount.

Roach was severely ill for three days, and was then taken to the hospital for treatment for another two days. Smith also became sick from the salmonella, but did not seek medical attention.

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