Kansas identifies 5 cases linked to regional
Salmonella outbreak
Source of Article: http://www.thekansan.com/news/x1676795162/Kansas-identifies-5-cases-linked-to-regional-Salmonella-outbreak
Newton Kansan
Posted Mar 09, 2009 @ 09:49 AM
TOPEKA —
As of March 6, the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment has identified five cases that are
linked to a regional outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul
bacterial infections.
There is one additional
confirmed case of Salmonella Saintpaul and testing
results to determine whether that case is linked are pending.
Kansas is one of five states affected by the
outbreak.
All of the Kansas cases are in
the northeast part of the state.
A possible link has been
identified with sprouts from SunSprout Enterprises,
Inc. of Omaha, Neb., but laboratory testing has yet to
confirm sprouts as the source.
As a precautionary
measure, the company has voluntarily recalled its alfalfa, onion and gourmet
sprouts.
These cases are not
connected to the recent peanut butter-related Salmonella cases.
KDHE is coordinating with
the Kansas Department of Agriculture, as well as local health departments
regarding the outbreak investigation.
Most persons infected with
Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after
infection.
The illness usually lasts
four to seven days, and most persons recover without treatment.
However, in some people,
the diarrhea may be so severe the patient needs to be hospitalized.
The elderly, infants and
those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
Anyone who is ill and may
have eaten the sprouts should see their physician.
Every year, 40,000 cases
of salmonellosis (Salmonella infection) are
reported in the United
States.
Because many milder cases
are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be 30 or
more times greater. Salmonellosis is more common in
the summer than winter.
For more information,
visit www.cdc.gov/salmonella/.
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