New Salmonella Outbreak Rises to 65 Cases as FDA Still Hasn't Found Source of Contamination - Sing Tao Daily

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised the case count in a Salmonella Javiana outbreak from 59 to 65.

The outbreak is ongoing, and authorities have still not identified the food linked to the cases.

Key points: · Pathogen: Salmonella Javiana · Case count: rose from 59 to 65 · Investigation status: supply chain tracing has begun, but no food source has been found · Information not disclosed: states where cases occurred, number of hospitalizations, patients' ages and illness onset dates · Recalls: no recalls, inspections or food sampling so far According to Newsweek, the FDA's investigation table shows that authorities have begun tracing the supply chain, but it does not list the states where patients live or the number of hospitalizations, and there are no records of any recalls, inspections or food sampling.

The agency has also not disclosed the products, brands, retailers or suppliers involved.

The case count may change as health officials confirm more infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it can take 3 to 4 weeks to determine whether a case is linked to an outbreak.

Is this outbreak related to the jalapeño outbreak?

This investigation is separate from an earlier outbreak also caused by Salmonella Javiana.

That outbreak was linked to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, and ended in October.

According to the CDC's final figures, that outbreak spanned 34 states, with 488 cases and 65 hospitalizations, and no deaths.

The report stressed that the two outbreaks involving the same Salmonella strain does not mean they are connected.

How do investigators trace the source?

Salmonella outbreaks are usually detected when laboratories identify multiple infections with the same genetic fingerprint.

The CDC's PulseNet network compares the DNA fingerprints of bacteria from patients across the country, and once a closely related cluster of infections is found, health officials interview patients about what they ate and other exposures to look for commonalities.

The FDA stresses that a food being included in an investigation does not mean it has been confirmed as the source of the outbreak.

What are the symptoms of Salmonella infection?

According to the CDC, Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

Symptoms usually appear within 6 hours to 6 days after infection and generally last 4 to 7 days.

The FDA advises people who suspect they became ill from food to contact their health care provider and public health department, and to watch for FDA investigation updates.

If the investigation yields actionable recommendations, the agency will issue a public health alert.

The United States has seen multiple food safety incidents this year involving products such as lettuce, eggs, soft cheese, sprouts and infant formula, with pathogens including cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli and infant botulism.

Among them, a cyclospora outbreak linked to romaine lettuce ultimately recorded 12,883 cases across 21 states, with 570 hospitalizations and 2 deaths.

The CDC says that, as of October 28, the agency typically coordinates 17 to 40 multistate foodborne illness investigations at any one time each week, but not all investigations result in a publicly issued outbreak notice.

Source: Newsweek