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Officials Working "Vigorously" to Find Outbreak Source

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday it is working "vigorously'' to identify the specific contaminated product that is causing a national outbreak of Salmonella Thyphimurium.

The CDC's written update on the 4-month-old outbreak did not specify what food or foods are being looked at as a potential cause. As of Wednesday, the same strain of Salmonella Thyphimurium had sickened 388 people in 42 states, the CDC said. The earliest recorded onset of an illness during the outbreak is Sept. 3. The CDC said the ages of the afflicted range from less than 1 year old to 103 years old. Approximately 18 percent of people sickened by the bacterial disease have been hospitalized, the CDC said.

The CDC said it is working with various state health officials and two federal agencies --  the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- to find the cause. Among states offering assistance with the investigation is Minnesota, where a team of researchers is conducting detailed standardized interviews with persons who were ill.

Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health, told the Center for Infectious Disease, Research & Policy (CIDRAP) on Thursday that one death in the state is associated with the outbreak. The patient was a woman in her 70s who had "many other health conditions,'' so officials do not know to what extent the Salmonella infection contributed to her death, Schultz said.

Schultz said of 30 confirmed cases in Minnesota, 11 patients were hospitalized and 10 were in nursing homes. The CDC said it would provide its next update on the outbreak investigation on Jan. 15.

Health officials in Ohio, where 50 cases had been reported as of Wednesday, were the first to go public with information about the outbreak early this week. The only other state with more cases is California, with 51.

Based on news reports, here's a partial list of states involved in the outbreak and how many cases they have reported in connection with the outbreak: Massachusetts 39, Michigan 20, Pennsylvania 12, New Hampshire 10, Idaho 10, Colorado 9, Maryland 7, North Dakota 7, Texas 5, Illinois 4.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and often does not require treatment. There is a risk of severe illness for young, old and immuno-compromised persons. When severe infection occurs, Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites, where it can cause death if the person is not promptly treated with antibiotics.

Attorneys at PritzkerLaw have years of experience in food poisoning lawsuits. Senior partner Fred Pritzker is currently lead attorney in a major food poisoning lawsuit involving victims from several states. If you or someone you love has been hospitalized after Salmonella poisoning or any other food poisoning, contact PritzkerLaw for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies. You can reach us by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mailing info@pritzkerlaw.com, or filling in our online consultation form. 

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on January 08, 2009 (boomark / email).