Community Chat

[Marp]

July 25 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened 212 people in 23 states.

In a Friday press release the CDC reported that 87 people had become ill since its last update on the outbreak Tuesday.

The agency said people began showing symptoms linked to a strain of salmonella, which can take two to four weeks to manifest symptoms, between June 19 and July 11.

Thirty-one people have been hospitalized since the outbreak began, but no fatalities have been reported.

According to the CDC, a specific source for the salmonella strain has not been identified. It has not issued any advisement against eating or consuming particular foods, nor named retailers that might be selling contaminated products.  (emphasis added).

Link to map of states reporting cases:  https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport-07-20/map.html

[kdgn]

This makes no sense at all. They haven't been able to identify the source of the outbreak? No one has been able to trace what foods these folks had in common-no one?

One of the oddest/weirdest things yet to come out of the CDC. 

[Mominohio]

I admit it leaves more guessing than answers, but I never find fault with information, even if it's lacking (which is different than manipulated or skewed for political or financial reasons). 

Every investigation has to start somewhere, and maybe someone in the agency felt that the number of people sick was enough to mention it. And maybe someone besides the CDC could put together the pieces, which won't happen if it is never reported.

[SunSprite]

This is probably a foolish question (but that doesn't ever seem to stop me)----does anyone know if salmonella can originate from meats or other refrigerated items being unrefrigerated for too long?

It's probably my biggest fear about grocery delivery. It's been so blooming hot here. I always check the outside of any refrigerated or freezer item as soon as it is delivered to see if it feels cool to the touch. 

It is a worry of mine though.

[Marp]

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@SunSprite wrote:

This is probably a foolish question (but that doesn't ever seem to stop me)----does anyone know if salmonella can originate from meats or other refrigerated items being unrefrigerated for too long?

It's probably my biggest fear about grocery delivery. It's been so blooming hot here. I always check the outside of any refrigerated or freezer item as soon as it is delivered to see if it feels cool to the touch. 

It is a worry of mine though.

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@SunSprite,  no salmonella does not originate from foods not being refrigerated but if something is already contaminated the bacteria will rapidly multiply in warmth.

However, keep in mind that cooking salmonella contaminated foods to proper temperature (165 degrees or higher) will kill the bacteria.

[SunSprite]

@Marp   Thanks! And thank you for not making me feel foolish 

Learned something I did not know!

[Mindy D]

This is not meaningless. The notice is alerting persons of the outbreak. By the way, salmonella can be contagious. This outbreak is under investigation. The notice gives the public information about where the outbreak is occurring, the timeframe involved and the symptoms to watch for. The organism is Salmonella Newport. Quoted from the CDC:

Posted July 24, 2020 at 3:30 PM ET

This outbreak is rapidly growing in size. A specific food item, grocery store, or restaurant chain has not been identified as the source of infections.

If you have symptoms of a Salmonella infection, report your illness to your local health department and talk to a healthcare provider. If you receive a call from your health department, please answer their questions about your illness and the foods you ate before you got sick. This information is vital for public health officials to identify the source of this outbreak and to take steps to prevent additional illnesses.

Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers

At A Glance

• Reported Cases: 212
• States: 23
• Hospitalizations: 31
• Deaths: 0

CDC is not recommending that consumers avoid any particular food at this time. Restaurants and retailers are not advised to avoid serving or selling any particular food. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Take action if you have symptoms of an Salmonella infection:

• Talk to your healthcare provider.
• Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
• Report your illness to your local health department.
  • The health department will likely call you for an interview to ask you about foods you ate in the week before you got sick.
• Assist public health investigators by answering their questions when they contact you. This information could help identify the source of the outbreak and prevent other people from getting sick.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection

• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours 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 illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
• Children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
• For more information, see Symptoms of Salmonella Infection.

CDC advises consumers to follow these four steps to help prevent Salmonellainfection:

• Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often, and wash fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting, or peeling.
• Separate: Keep food that won’t be cooked before it is eaten, such as fresh fruit, salads, and deli meats, away from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Cook: To a temperature high enough to kill germsexternal icon.
• Chill: Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours; 1 hour if it’s 90°F or hotter outside.

More information is available on the CDC Food Safety website.

Latest Outbreak Information

• Since our last update on July 21, 2020, an additional 87 ill people have been reported in this outbreak, including 38 from 8 new states: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Virginia.
• A total of 212 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 23 states.
  • 31 hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been reported.
• A specific food, grocery store, or restaurant chain has not been identified as the source of this outbreak.
• CDC is not advising that consumers avoid eating any specific foods, or that retailers stop selling any specific foods.
• This investigation is ongoing. CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.

Investigation Details

July 24, 2020

Since the last update on July 21, 2020, an additional 87 ill people have been reported in this outbreak, including 38 from 8 new states: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Virginia.

As of July 23, 2020, a total of 212 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 23 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page..

Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19, 2020, to July 11, 2020, Ill people range in age from 0 to 92 years, with a median age of 40. Fifty-four percent of ill people are female. Of 117 ill people with information available, 31 hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been reported.

Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.

Whole genome sequencing analysis of 48 isolates from ill people did not predict any antibiotic resistance. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory is currently underway.

Investigation of the Outbreak

On July 10, 2020, CDC PulseNet identified an outbreak of 13 Salmonella Newport infections in three states. Since being identified, the outbreak has rapidly grown to a total of 212 infections in 23 states.

State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started. CDC encourages people experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection to report their illness to their local health department and participate in these interviews. This information is vital for public health officials to identify the source of this outbreak and to take steps to prevent additional illnesses.

At this time, the investigation has not identified a specific food, grocery store, or restaurant as the source of this outbreak. CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.

[Icegoddess]

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@kdgn wrote:

This makes no sense at all. They haven't been able to identify the source of the outbreak? No one has been able to trace what foods these folks had in common-no one?

One of the oddest/weirdest things yet to come out of the CDC. 

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I don't know that I could tell you everything I have eaten in the last 4 weeks.  

I'm not a germaphobe, but when David was presenting that chicken roasting device where the chicken juices would go down in a reservoir and they were showing vegetables in that reservoir the first thing I thought was Salmonella.  Maybe it would all get hot enough to kill the bacteria, but it still kinda grossed me.  

[Mindy D]

The outbreak is not confined to the United States. It extends into Canada:

"As of July 24, 2020, there have been 59 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness linked to this outbreak in the following provinces: British Columbia (23), Alberta (31), Manitoba (3), Ontario (1), and Prince Edward Island (1). Individuals became sick between mid-June and mid-July 2020. Information is available for 28 illnesses. Out of 28 people, six individuals have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between 11 and 77 years of age. The majority of cases (54%) are women.

Quoted from:

1. Canada.ca
2. Public Health Agency of Canada
3. Public Health Notices
4. 2020

Public Health Notice: Outbreak of Salmonella infections under investigation

July 24, 2020 – Original Notice

Public Health Notice: Outbreak of Salmonella infections under investigation

July 24, 2020 – Original Notice