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Nebraska Official Spots New Salmonella Outbreak

By PritzkerLaw

Nebraska's state epidemiologist is tracking a Salmonella outbreak around Omaha and some outlying counties in the southeast part of the state that he says is not related to the nationwide peanut butter Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak.

Dr. Tom Safranek told the Omaha World-Herald newspaper that 14 confirmed cases all with matching DNA fingerprints occurred between February 2-13. He said he expects the number to grow while health investigators continue searching for the cause.

Safranek said the strain is different from the Salmonella serotype Typhimurium that has killed nine people and sickened more than 666 others in 46 states since last September. In that outbreak, federal officials have linked the infections to peanut butter, peanut paste and other peanut products made by Peanut Corporation of America.

According to the World-Herald, the patients in the Nebraska outbreak range in age from their teens to their 40s. Two were hospitalized and released.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen Attorneys has been heavily involved in the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak and the firms' clients include the families of three women who died from the contaminated food. PritzkerOlsen is involved in virtually all major foodborne illness outbreaks, representing victims and their families. For years our firm has fought for an improved food safety system and one of our clients recently testified before a Congressional subcommittee about the peanut butter outbreak.

To contact a food safety lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete a free consultation form. 

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on February 27, 2009 (boomark / email).