Salmonella Outbreak In 23 States Baffles CDC, Agency Currently Investigating

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking into the reported outbreak of salmonella in 23 states that infected hundreds of people.

The threat of coronavirus infection is still very much present in the United States but already, a new danger looms, The Hill reports. The CDC announced it is currently investigating reports of a salmonella outbreak in 23 states which has affected so many.

In a news release Friday, July 24, the federal agency revealed an additional 87 persons getting sick with the bacterial disease. As of Tuesday, July 21, the agency also reported the addition of eight new states to the list of those with reported salmonella cases. These include Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, Virginia, Florida, Nebraska and Maine.

The CDC added that as of Thursday, July 23, there are already 212 people infected with the salmonella bacteria strain, with 38 of those infections coming from the new states. The agency also noted that the origin of that particular salmonella strain has not been identified yet. There are also no running advertisements against the consumption of specific foods or links to particular retailers where suspected contaminated foods are coming from.

Infected patients reported their illnesses only between June 19 and July 11. As per the statement of the CDC, all of the salmonella infection cases in various states may not reflect the actual picture because of the time it takes from the moment a person experiences the symptoms up to the time when such illness is reported. According to the agency, this can take anywhere between two and four weeks. The symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, which may manifest six hours to six days after exposure to the bacteria.

At the moment, health officials are talking to patients to determine where the outbreak originated. The infections caused some 31 patients to be admitted to hospitals, although there were no reported fatalities. In rare cases, this type of infection can be fatal. People with weak immune systems, as well as children below 5 years old and adults above 65, are likely to suffer severe symptoms from the infection.

According to the CDC data, the state with the most salmonella cases is Oregon with 51 infections, reports say. It is closely followed by Utah with 40 infection cases. The agency advises anyone experiencing the symptoms to get in touch with a health provider and tell them what they have been eating one week before falling ill.