THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES reported that the first of approximately a dozen lawsuits was filed in state court this week against Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. and Arby’s LLC, following a salmonella outbreak in Lowndes County in August.

Also named as defendants in the suit are Beavers Inc., and Birg Inc., which own the franchise, Globe Food Equipment, which supplied the faulty meat slicer which was later discovered to be the source of the bacteria; AFA Service Corporation, the marketing and advertising leader for Arby’s; ARCOP Inc.; and one unknown person, who supplied meat products to the restaurant; Farmer Brown’s Produce Inc., which supplied produce for the restaurant and four other unknown persons.

The suit was filed on behalf of 42-year-old Frances Parks, who was hospitalized on Aug. 28 with salmonella poisoning, which led to a bacterimia infection in the bloodstream, two days after she had eaten at the restaurant.