A recent salmonella outbreak has infected over a hundred people across half of the United States, and health officials have yet to determine the source of the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday that it was investigating an outbreak of the Salmonella Orangeburg strain.
The Rapid Growth Infected
The CDC identified 20 infections on September 2, but the outbreak has grown rapidly since then. As of September 15, there were 127 people infected with 18 hospitalizations across 25 states. The outbreak began on August 3, the most recent case was reported on September 1. No deaths have been reported.
However, officials believe that the number of sick people is likely to be much higher because some people recover from their illnesses. Without medical attention, they suffer from illness and are not tested for salmonella. Furthermore, determining whether someone was a part of an outbreak can take up o four weeks.
Salmonella infects more than a hundred people in the 25 states in the U.S. (Photo:Pathogenic Salmonella bacteria. Image Credit: nobeastsofierce / Shutterstock)
The Notion Beyond Salmonella Symptoms
Officials are still unsure what is causing the outbreak. The agency said in a statement that local State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week preceding their illness. The CDC is reviewing the data and has not identified any specific food item as a possible source of this outbreak.
Reported cases have spread across the United States mainland according to the CDC data, Texas reported 45 cases and Minnesota reported 13. The infected ranged in age from less than a year to 82 years with 59 percent being male.
Despite the fact that the food source is unknown, health officials say they have identified people in multiple states who ate at the same restaurant and became ill. Investigating these called clubs cluster.
Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, and dehydration, which can occur six hours to six days after being exposed to the bacteria. The majority of people recover without treatment within four to seven days.
