Salmonella outbreak sickens 388 across U.S.: CDC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to trace the source of the outbreak, which began in September. The Department of Agriculture, state health officials and the Food and Drug Administration are also involved.
The CDC said poultry, cheese and eggs are the most common source of this particular strain, known as Salmonella typhimurium.
“It is often difficult to identify sources of foodborne outbreaks. People may not remember the foods they recently ate and may not be aware of all of the ingredients in food. That’s what makes these types of investigations very difficult,” said CDC spokesman David Daigle.
Daigle did not specify how many people were hospitalized, but the percentage he gave puts that figure at about 70.
“Because foods of animal origin may be contaminated with Salmonella, people should not eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat. Persons also should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk or other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed,” he said.
Only Ohio state health officials have agreed to have their state named as one of those affected, with an estimated 50 cases.
Every year, approximately 40,000 people are reported ill with salmonella in the United States, the CDC says, but it said many more cases are never reported.
There have been several recent high-profile outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States, including a strain of Salmonella carried by peppers from Mexico and that sickened 1,400 people from April to August of 2007 and an E. coli epidemic in 2006, traced to California spinach, that killed three.
Salmonella-contaminated dry pet food sickened at least 79 people, including many young children, in October and November.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Related Posts:
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five deaths have now been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning linked to peanut butter, but the strain involved is not particularly virulent, health officials said on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 453 infections had been reported in 43 states and
Full Post: Five deaths linked to salmonella outbreak
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tests confirm that recalled batches of contaminated peanut butter match the strain of Salmonella food poisoning that has sickened 399 people, Minnesota health officials said on Monday. They found the bacteria contaminating the peanut butter was a genetic match to the bacteria making the people sick. “Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health lab tests
Full Post: Peanut butter linked to Salmonella outbreak
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning that has sickened at least 399 people and put 70 or more into the hospital has been linked to peanut butter, officials in Minnesota said on Friday. Officials from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Health said they were issuing a product advisory
Full Post: Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An Ohio-based food distributor has voluntarily recalled two brands of peanut butter after it was told salmonella found in an open five-pound tub sold under the King Nut label. King Nut Cos, in a statement released Saturday, said it immediately contacted its customers and asked them to remove all King Nut peanut butter
Full Post: King Nut recalls salmonella-tainted peanut butter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Foodborne diseases appear to be on the rise in both rich and poor countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. More research is needed to determine how much sickness and death stems from contaminated food, such as the tainted Chinese milk that caused kidney problems in more than 50,000
Full Post: More research needed into foodborne diseases: WHO