Salmonella outbreak from mystery food sickens people in at least 25 states, CDC says

A salmonella outbreak from a mystery food has grown “rapidly” across the U.S., officials said.

The Salmonella Oranienburg strain has sickened at least 127 people in 25 states since it was first detected this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public health officials have not determined the food source of the outbreak but identified “subclusters” of people who ate at the same restaurants.

“These subclusters are groups of people who do not know one another who ate at the same restaurant and got sick,” the CDC said. “Investigating these subclusters can sometimes help identify a food item eaten by all of the sick people that could be the source of the outbreak.”

Eighteen people have been hospitalized, but no one has died, officials said.

Texas has accounted for the most cases with 45, followed by Minnesota with 13, Virginia with nine, and Oklahoma and Massachusetts both with seven.

“The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella.”

Additionally, it can take up to four weeks to determine whether a sick person was part of an outbreak, officials said.

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of confirmed Salmonella Oranienburg cases:

This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Salmonella outbreak from mystery food sickens people in at least 25 states, CDC says."