As reported in The Missoulian, six more suspected cases of salmonella were reported to the Missoula City-County Health Department over the weekend, bringing the total of confirmed or suspected cases to 19, which fifteen of the 19 have been linked to the Rocky Mountain Grill at 2300 W. Broadway, which Health Department officials shut down Friday. The restaurant remains closed while it complies with several Health Department requirements.

Ellen Leahy, director of the Health Department said that while names of a dozen restaurants came up in the 72-hour food histories of the confirmed cases, there was no other highly suspected restaurant in Missoula that people should avoid. "We’re really seeing that the common denominator in 80 percent of the cases is Rocky Mountain Grill," she said.  Officials are awaiting lab results that will confirm whether the latest six cases were caused by salmonella.

The Health Department worked with Rocky Mountain Grill to correct food handling and storing problems in October, but after observing repeat violations of food handling, shut it down for 24 hours on Oct. 28 to conduct training sessions for the staff.

When a resurgence of salmonella occurred after that and was linked to Rocky Mountain Grill, and another inspection revealed continued food-handling violations at the restaurant, it was closed again Friday, this time, the restaurant must meet more stringent requirements before it will be allowed to reopen, including switching to pasteurized eggs in most cases, sending its kitchen staff to a four-hour training session, and providing stool samples from all its staff, including managers, kitchen and wait staff.