Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls on July 22, 2025
A Webster County Giardia outbreak has caught the attention of the state health department. The Kentucky Department of Public Health, Hopkins County Health Department, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are actively investigating this Giardia outbreak that has impacted Hopkins County, Webster County, and Muhlenberg County residents. A Mexican-food style restaurant is at the heart of the investigation.
As of July 21, 2025, there have been a total of 66 laboratory-confirmed cases of Giardia in Webster, Muhlenberg, and Hopkins Counties since May 2025.
This is just the ones that have been confirmed through specialized laboratory testing. There are likely others who have become sick but are asymptomatic. Or others who have become sick but experienced mild symptoms and did not require medical care. Most people in that category never have their samples tested for Giardia, so never receive a diagnosis.
Is 66 people a lot for this type of outbreak?
It is!
To put this in prospective, the entire state of Kentucky usually receives around 100 to 300 cases of Giardia infections in the entire year. Most of these cases do occur in the warmer seasons of the month. But this cluster is significant.
Add that to the fact that these 66 cases are probably a fraction of the true number of illnesses, and you can see the huge problem observed by the local and state health departments.
“The number of people who are sick is likely higher than that,” says Jory Lange, Giardia Attorney with The Lange Law Firm.
The source of the Webster County Giardia outbreak is still under investigation. However, most of the people sickened in this outbreak reported dining at a Mexican-food style restaurant in Madisonville, Kentucky.
El Tapatio Mexican Cantina.
Giardia isn’t commonly associated with food poisoning, says Lange. Giardia is an “unusual food poisoning outbreak” for a restaurant. He says that Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter happen more frequently.
According to the Kentucky Public Health, El Tapatio Mexican Cantina is cooperating with the investigation. Also, “Health officials continue to conduct environmental sampling to help identify potential sources of Giardia exposure.”
While conducting a site visit at the restaurant, health inspectors discovered that the restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator was not keeping food at a safe temperature. In response to this finding, all food was thrown away and El Tapatio Mexican Cantina was temporarily closed for maintenance and staff training.
Giardia is a type of parasite often found in untreated water. Places like streams, rivers, and lakes. It impacts humans when it contaminates water, food, or other surfaces that humans come into contact with.
This parasite can become foodborne when it contaminates food.
This can happen in a few different ways:
If you believe you may be exposed in this Webster County Giardia outbreak, look out for the following symptoms.
Diarrhea is often the first symptom in a Giardia infection. This can happen 2 to 5 times per day. Many sick people report feeling more tired than usual.
Short-term symptoms may include:
Giardia symptoms often start 1 to 2 weeks after becoming infected with Giardia parasites. Even as long as 3 weeks! These symptoms generally last for 2 to 6 weeks.
Around 1 in 3 people with Giardia infection experience long-term symptoms that can last for years.
Long-term complications may include:
A single Giardia sample is often not enough to diagnose a Giardia infection.
The cysts are small and elusive.
The CDC recommends collecting three stool samples over several days. This testing often involves microscopy with direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) testing. Basically, the sample is treated with a chemical that fluorescently lights up areas containing the germ, and viewed under a powerful microscope to see if they are there.
Healthcare professionals throughout western Kentucky have been notified of the area’s Giardia outbreak. However, disclosing your potential exposure may expedite the diagnostic process.
If you become sick in this Webster County Giardia outbreak or become sick with Giardia symptoms, there are a few things that you should do.
Giardia infections can turn severe quickly. Dehydration is common with diarrheal illnesses, and the faster you receive treatment the better.
If you are infected with Giardia, you can spread your illness to others. Do not report to work, especially if you work in a daycare, child care, or food service setting.
If you are still having diarrhea from Giardia illness, avoid recreational water activities. You can easily spread your illness to others by sharing a pool, hot tub, or splash pad. Wait at least 24 hours after diarrheal symptoms have resolved.
If you have become seriously ill from this Webster County Giardia outbreak, it is a good idea to get legal advice from a Giardia Food Poisoning Lawyer. A Giardia lawyer can help you determine if you have a legal case, gather evidence, and investigate the outbreak.
The experienced Giardia Lawyers at The Lange Law Firm, PLLC can help you recover medical bills, time off from work, and other burdens associated with this Webster County Giardia outbreak. In addition to needed financial compensation, these lawsuits can hold restaurants accountable.
“By holding the restaurant accountable, we hope to make the restaurant do better, make our food safer so that this doesn’t happen to other people down the road,” say Lange. Consumers expect that the food they receive is free of contamination and adulteration. We put a lot of trust in these companies.
If you have questions about the Webster County Giardia Outbreak lawsuit or wish to file a claim, call The Lange Law Firm, PLLC for a free, no obligation consultation.
Call (833) 330-3663 or fill out the online submission form today!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)