WATCH: Health
officials see salmonella outbreak in Caldwell County
Source
of Article: http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/070609kvue-Lockhart-Outbreak-WH.161a2c6a.html
07:10 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 7, 2009
By NOELLE NEWTON / KVUE News
In just one month the
Lockhart area has seen three times as many salmonellosis cases as they
usually see in a year.
July 6th,
2009
KVUE's
Noelle Newton reports
Lockhart -- the
proclaimed the barbecue capital of Texas -- is now home to a salmonella
outbreak and maybe a few more empty tables.
"We cut back on some
of that stuff for a couple of weeks until it clears out a little bit,” said
Christie Gartman, resident.
Last month, 27 people
tested positive for salmonellosis in Caldwell County. The bacteria come
from animal feces and can be found in beef and poultry. State health
officials say the majority of those who got sick live in Lockhart, others
in the nearby town of Dale. The last case reported was on the 25th of June.
Health officials have
questioned all affected, but have not been able to determine the source.
They say for now, don't panic and continue to eat at your favorite places.
But if what you eat makes you sick, get to a doctor. The more people
tested, the better chance there is of finding a common link and addressing
it.
"After you're
exposed you're typically going to get ill between three to 72 hours. The
symptom is typically diarrhea and one of the risks of diarrhea is
dehydration. Some of the people were hospitalized at least briefly
primarily to be rehydrated,” Department of State Health Spokesperson Doug
McBride said.
Local doctors are
sounding the alarm. That's how Christie Gartman found out.
"We took my daughter
to the doctor and there are signs posted everywhere to be more cautious
about how you eat, make sure you wash your hands,” Gartman said.
McBride thinks the
outbreak may be slowing down, which would be a relief to a city with such
an important title.
State health officials
say some of the people who got sick did eat at restaurants. If they do
discover source, they will alert the public and eradicate the problem. They
urge people not to jump to conclusions.
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