Salmonella Cases Explode to 200 From Contaminated Sushi Outbreak

Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the CDC, 200 people in 21 states and Washington, D.C., have now been sickened by raw scraped tuna contaminated with not one but two rare strains of salmonella.

Last week, the CDC claimed 116 illnesses from 20 states and the District of Columbia were reported, including 12 people who were hospitalized. Now 28 persons have been hospitalized.

Based on an epidemiological link and results of laboratory testing, CDC has combined this Salmonella Bareilly investigation with an ongoing multistate outbreak investigation of Salmonella serotype Nchanga infections. The two associated PFGE patterns have been grouped together as the "outbreak strains."

190 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly have been reported from 21 states and the District of Columbia.

The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (8), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (9), Illinois (15), Louisiana (3), Maryland (20), Massachusetts (24), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), New Jersey (18), New York (33), North Carolina (3), Pennsylvania (7), Rhode Island (6), South Carolina (3), Texas (4), Virginia (9), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (15).

10 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga have been reported from 5 states. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga identified in each state is as follows: Georgia (2), New Jersey (1), New York (5), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1).  28 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.