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Salmonella sickens 388 across U.S.
By Lisa Abraham and Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal staff writers
Published on Thursday, Jan 08, 2009
Ohio has become part of a multistate investigation trying to determine the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 51 Ohioans since October.
The state is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to track the source of the outbreak. The illnesses occurred in 20 Ohio counties, including two in Summit, seven in Stark, 14 in Cuyahoga and one in Wayne.
Nationally, 388 people in 42 states have become infected, according to Lola Russell, spokes woman for the CDC. Most of the illnesses occurred between Sept. 3 and Dec. 29, she said.
The Ohio Department of Health said Ohio ranks second in the nation for number of cases in this outbreak, which involves the bacteria Salmonella typhimurium, one of the two most common strains in this country. Because it's so common, it has been tied to infections from poultry, produce, raw milk and cheese, and handling animals, Russell said.
The first Ohio case was reported Oct. 10, state health department spokesman Kristopher Weiss said. No cases have been reported in the state since Dec. 12.
Those sickened in Ohio ranged in age from 2 months to 89 years, Weiss said. All of the patients made full recoveries, although 12 were hospitalized. Nationally, 18 percent of those infected required hospitalization, Russell said.
Most of the estimated 1,300 confirmed salmonella cases that occur statewide each year are isolated incidents, Weiss said.
''The vast majority of cases are not related to an outbreak,'' he said. But in these cases, ''the DNA fingerprints are the same, which indicates to us they are linked.''
Health-care providers are required to report all confirmed cases of salmonella to their local health department, which then shares the test results with the state health department.
Between April and August of last year, more than 1,400 people in 43 states, including 10 in Ohio, became infected with Salmonella saintpaul bacteria. That outbreak was originally thought to be connected to tomatoes, but later was attributed to jalapeno and serrano peppers coming from Mexico.
Foods of animal origin are often the cause of salmonella infections. However, produce can be affected as well if it becomes cross-contaminated.
Salmonella infections often come from eating raw or undercooked eggs, poultry or meat; unwashed produce; unpasteurized milk; or from failure to clean up properly after handling these items.
Raw eggs are a common source of salmonella, and may be included in homemade items such as salad dressings, ice cream, mayonnaise or cookie dough, according to information from the CDC.
Countertops, cutting boards, plates, utensils, refrigerator shelves and any other items that come in contact with raw meat or poultry should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and hot water or an antibacterial or bleach-based cleanser to avoid contaminating other items. Thorough hand-washing after handling these items also helps to prevent the spread of the bacteria.
Most people infected with salmonella become sick within 12 to 72 hours after getting infected. Common symptoms of salmonella infection are diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most recover within a week without treatment, but the elderly, infants and others with compromised immune systems can become severely ill.
Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Ohio has become part of a multistate investigation trying to determine the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 51 Ohioans since October.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Barberton, OH
Posted 10:15 AM, 01/08/2009
This article makes me feel really safe! (sarcasim)
Why isn't the CDC already on top of these things! They wait until an outbreak before they start doing their jobs.
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:43 AM, 01/08/2009
Our government cannot find OSAMA, what makes them think that they can find the cause of the outbreak. LOL
