Salmonella detected in 25 states
A recent salmonella outbreak has infected more than 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 and Prevention issued a notice that it was 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 has reach 127 people, including 18 hospitalizations across 25 states. The outbreak began Aug. 3; the last reported case was on Sept. 1, with no deaths yet reported.
But officials believe the number of sick people is likely much higher since some people recover from illness without medical care and aren’t tested for salmonella. Further, it can take up to four weeks to determine whether 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,” the agency said in a statement.
According to CDC data, reported cases have stretched across the U.S., with Texas (45) and Minnesota (13) seeing the most reported cases.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps and dehydration, which can begin six hours to six days after being exposed to the bacteria, according to the CDC. Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days.