Several cases of salmonella poisoning have been reported by people who ate at Cannon's Cross Pub in Fredericton since mid-August, health officials say.

The public health department has closed the restaurant on Riverside Drive.

Dr. Cristin Muecke, medical officer of health for Region 3, says the establishment is the common thread between the five cases of salmonella reported so far.

"We're concerned about the possibility of there being other people out there who have the same condition," Muecke said.

The outbreak appears to be linked to chicken dishes, consumed within three to five days of each other starting Aug. 17.

Muecke says the incubation period for symptoms to develop can be anywhere from a few hours to three or four days.

Salmonella is a bacterial disease that causes abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea or fever.

Anyone experiencing those symptoms should avoid contact with those who are very young, very old, or who have weakened immune systems.

Muecke says they should also seek medical attention and ask to be tested for salmonella.