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Source of Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/4895 Date Published: Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 The
mysterious Nebraska salmonella
outbreak that sickened 14 women—hospitalizing two—earlier this week has been expanded
to now include 24 people. When first reported, the source of the salmonella
was unknown and the strain was unfamiliar to experts working on the case.
Now, the Associated Press (AP) is breaking with news that alfalfa sprouts are
the source the outbreak. According to the
AP, the Sunsprouts brand sprouts were distributed
by CW Sprouts of Omaha and sold at grocery stores and restaurants; all of the product has been recalled. Now, the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration is investigating what, if anything, contributed to
the contamination at the plant, said the AP; however, investigators are
looking at if the sprouts were contaminated prior, saying of the location
that it is “one of the cleanest facilities we’ve seen.” As we have
reported in the past and as the AP explained, sprouts can become tainted with
salmonella prior to harvesting, when they are growing. The issue with
consuming raw sprouts is that the conditions required for sprout growing are
optimal for growing pathogens. Bacteria need the right temperature,
nutrients, and water and sprouts grow in watery, warm environments, ideal for
rapid bacterial growth. Sprouts are usually eaten raw with no additional
treatment, such as cooking, which eliminates bacteria that can cause disease
and food borne illnesses. Also, washing sprouts does not necessarily remove
bacteria because bacteria grow within the sprouts, so the bacteria cannot be
washed away. The AP reported
that of the 24 salmonella cases, 14 are confirmed, four are considered
probable, and eight-to-10 other cases are considered suspect. Also, five
cases of salmonella poisoning have been confirmed in Iowa by health officials
there who say that the strain is Salmonella Saintpaul,
which is the same as the salmonella strain spreading in Nebraska, reported
the AP. The salmonella
pathogen can cause serious, sometimes fatal salmonellosis
infections in young children and weak or elderly people. Healthy people may
experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, if
infected. Without treatment, severe cases of Salmonella can result in death;
however, some Salmonella bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, largely due
to the use of antibiotics to promote the growth of feed animals. Salmonella is
usually found in food contaminated with animal feces and is a group of
bacteria that passes from the feces of people or animals to other people or
animals, causing contamination when food is improperly stored or handled and
when preparers do not wash their hands or sanitize implements involved in
food storage. In a prior
report, KETV7 said officials in |
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