Salmonella outbreak in 15 states has left researchers confused – BGR

• The CDC is investigating a salmonella outbreak that currently affects 15 states.
• The first salmonella infection was reported in July and since then has seen 125 people get sick.
• CDC has yet to trace the source of infection to a specific food chain, supermarket or restaurant.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week announced new research into a possible salmonella outbreak in several states. The CDC notes that the first outbreak occurred two weeks ago and involved 13 reported cases of sick people. Since then, the outbreak has seen 125 people get sick and 24 people require hospitalization. It is worth noting that no deaths have been reported. As it stands now, potential salmonella infections have been reported in up to 15 states.

The CDC investigation continues and it is currently unclear what the source of the infection is. While salmonella outbreaks generally date back to a specific food, restaurant, or grocery store, the CDC’s investigation so far has not yielded concrete evidence in either direction. Meanwhile, the CDC continues to actively interview people who got sick in an effort to identify the source of the exposure.

Geographically speaking, infections are popping up across the country. To date, the CDC has confirmed salmonella infections in California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The hardest hit states so far include Oregon, which has seen 42 infections, Utah, which has seen 28 infections, and Michigan, which has seen 12 infections.

A list of salmonella symptoms to watch out for includes the following, according to the CDC:

• Most people infected with Salmonella You develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the disease can be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella the infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
• Children younger than 5 years old, adults older than 65 years old, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a serious illness.

If you think you might have any of the above symptoms, the CDC recommends that people take the following steps:

• Talk to your healthcare provider.
• Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
• Report your illness to the health department.
• Help public health researchers by answering questions about your disease.

Again, the CDC at this time does not advise people to avoid any particular type of food. And while the current outbreak doesn’t appear to be aggressively spreading everywhere, people in states like Oregon should pay special attention to symptoms that may be associated with a salmonella infection.