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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a multistate Salmonella outbreak that has spread to at least 25 states and sickened over 100 people.
The CDC said the Salmonella outbreak is “fast-growing” and has not been linked to any one specific food source.
A recent salmonella outbreak has infected over a hundred people in half of the United States, and health officials have not determined what is causing it.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control issued a notice they were investigating an outbreak of the strain Salmonella Oranienburg. On Sept. 2, the CDC identified 20 infections, but the outbreak has grown rapidly since then.
As of Sept. 15, the number of infected people has reach 127 people, including 18 hospitalizations across 25 states. The outbreak began on Aug. 3 and the last reported case was on Sept. 1, with no deaths reported.
However, officials believe the number of sick people is likely much higher since some people recover from illness without medical care and they aren’t tested for Salmonella, as well as it can take up to four weeks to determine if someone was part of an outbreak.
Still, officials aren’t sure what’s causing it.
“State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. CDC is analyzing the data and has not identified a specific food item as a potential source of this outbreak,” the agency said in a statement.
A total of 127 people have been sickened by the outbreak, and it is believed that many more people may have been infected and recovered without medical care.
Of those who did become ill with Salmonella infections, 18 were hospitalized from their illness. No deaths have been reported.
The 25 states that have been infected by the outbreak include: California, Utah, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Recent illnesses may not have been reported yet, the CDC said, as it takes up to four weeks to determine if a person who is sick with Salmonella is part of an outbreak.
Symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, fever higher than 102° F, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and signs of dehydration.
Persons that show symptoms of Salmonella infection are urged to seek treatment from a healthcare provider and report their illness to their health department as part of this investigation.
To prevent Salmonella infections, always wash hands, surfaces, and utensils as well as fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting, and peeling. Keep food that won’t be cooked away from raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and cook food to a temperature high enough to kill germs. Also, be sure to refrigerate perishable foods within two hours and thaw foods in the refrigerator and not the counter.
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