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New Zealand: Source of salmonella outbreak stumps officials
Source of Article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4781464a11.html
By KIM THOMAS
- The Press | Thursday, 04 December 2008
A
national outbreak of a "potent" and rare type of salmonella has
health officials puzzled.
Since
mid-October, 36 cases of salmonella typhimurium
phage type 42 have been reported nationwide, with 16 of them in Canterbury.
Environmental
Science and Research started a national investigation about a week ago,
with public health units and the Food Safety Authority trying to identify
the source of the bacteria.
The source is
likely to be some form of food product.
Most of the Canterbury people hit
by the nasty bug are female, with many children and middle-aged women
succumbing.
Ministry of
Health chief adviser of population Greg Simmons said the outbreak was a
"significant" one.
There have been
16 confirmed cases of type 42 in Christchurch,
nine in Dunedin five in Nelson, two in Auckland and one each in Greymouth,
Rotorua, Whakatane and Waikato.
There were 15
cases of type 42 last year and 28 in 2006.
Simmons said
babies, the elderly and the immune compromised may become severely
dehydrated.
Scientists would
interview a random sample of infected people to try to find out where they
caught the bug, Canterbury District Health Board medical officer of health
Ramon Pink said.
At least five
people nationwide had needed hospital treatment.
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