ATLANTA, Jan. 9, 2009
Salmonella Outbreak Hits 42 States
CDC: Nearly 400 People Sickened; Bacteria May Be Cause Of One Elderly Woman's Death
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The ourbreak of Typhimurium-type salmonella, among the most common, has sickened nearly 400 people and may have caused one death. But officials are not close to determining the source. (AP)
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Nearly 400 people have become ill in the outbreak that might have killed one person. An elderly woman in Minnesota had the infection when she died, although it's not clear that salmonella was the cause, a health department spokesman there said.
The same type of salmonella bacteria has been lab-confirmed in 388 cases nationwide, said the CDC, which is leading the investigation but has not yet released the list of states or determined which foods may have caused people to become sick.
However, health officials in California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Ohio have confirmed cases. Ohio and California reported the most, with 51 cases each.
Nationally, all the illnesses began between Sept. 3 and Dec. 29, but most of the people grew sick after Oct. 1.
Most people develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.
Officials say steps to protect against the illness include careful handling and preparation of raw meat, and frequent hand washing.
CDC officials say the cases in the outbreak have all been genetically fingerprinted as the Typhimurium type, which is among the most common forms of salmonella food poisoning. Of those cases for which CDC officials have medical treatment information, 18 percent were hospitalized.
A Connecticut congresswoman on Thursday said she was frustrated that health officials don't yet know how the bacteria have been spreading.
Not knowing what food is responsible means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture cannot help track the original source, said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who chairs the Agriculture-FDA appropriations subcommittee.
"Any delays in these critical investigations can sicken more people," DeLauro said in a statement.
But foodborne illness investigations can be very complicated, and it can take weeks or months for health officials to interview patients, find common links in what they ate, test suspected foods and come up with a clear-cut cause, said Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety.
"There's a lot more to this than meets the eye," he said.
There are about 2,000 types of salmonella and about 40,000 cases are reported each year.
Of lab-confirmed cases, salmonella Typhimurium is the most common. The bacteria type is a year-round threat because it's found in meat and eggs, and not as subject to seasonal food supply variations as produce.
The current outbreak's bacteria are different from the salmonella Saintpaul bug that caused more than 1,400 illnesses last spring and summer. That was traced to vegetables from Mexico - jalapeno and serrano peppers and possibly certain types of tomatoes.
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Oh wait they may not even know the morons in this administration are qualified to do nothing.
Posted by mrs_zambesi
So it''s your God that''s the cause of this eh? I never knew so many children, even infants, could be sinners. Since your use of the word "sick" was not limited to salmonella, I assume you''re also accusing the children with cancer and hundreds of other crushing illnesses are all just sinners in your eyes and are deserving of the suffering. In my opinion, you are sick and must be a sinner so you will be stricken also.
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Posted by drinuk at 02:25 PM
I wonder if there might be something to what you''re saying. Both of my parents got this and were hospitalized, but they couldn''t imagine how they contracted it. I do think they got their flu shots.
What an idiot
Posted by pythoncharly
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Not necessarily the flu vaccine is incubated in raw eggs. Flu vaccines were distributed in early October. If the eggs they used had the bacteria it is possible that it infected the vaccines. This could be a "possible" cause.
Posted by juliemd
Remember the spinach outbreak of last year?
The flu vaccine is incubated in raw eggs, that is another possible cause.
Food coming in from overseas with little or no oversight is another possible cause.
To many possible causes, time to cut back on where we eat, what we eat, and what we allow injected into our bodies.
Already tuberculosis has made a come back, dengi and salmonella are just examples of how our country is too poor and bankrupt to have a world class food safety program.
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I agree whitemale. Just like our roads, bridges, air traffic control and about every other aspect of our infrastructure are neglected and going to ***.
GO WASH YOUR HANDS!
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by hypnotoad72
January 11, 2009 6:57 PM PST
- Check out page6 (NY Daily News) on Jan 09. One of the Olsen twins was seen leaving the toilet without washing her hands. Sometimes the only thing between your food and the toilet is a thin sheet of tissue.
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Reply to this comment
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See all 25 CommentsGO WASH YOUR HANDS!
Posted by caldwellptr at 09:49 PM : Jan 10, 2009
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Why should she wash her hands? To wash herself clean of her brain?