(Newser)
– An outbreak of salmonella of unknown origin has affected nearly two dozen states and hospitalized 31 people, USA Today reports. The CDC said Friday that 212 cases have emerged in 23 states, with 8 new states listed since Tuesday. While the bacterial outbreaks are often linked to a food source, officials have yet to identify a food, restaurant, or grocery store in this case. Health officials are now talking to those who got sick in an attempt to track down the disease. States reporting salmonella cases include California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, reports CBS 47. A map from the CDC shows that Utah and Oregon are the most affected.
The CDC tells us that salmonella infections generally come with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever, and last anywhere from a few hours to six days after exposure to the bacteria. Children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 years old and older, and people with weaker immune systems are more likely to develop serious illnesses. Authorities say the best way to avoid infection is to stay clean (wash your hands and surfaces), keep foods you need to cook away from those you don’t, cook to a temperature that kills germs, and put perishable foods in the refrigerator in an hour or two. Meanwhile, CNN reports that an outbreak of Cyclospora related to salad mixes has now sickened 641 people in 11 states. (Read more about that here.)
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