At least nine cases of Salmonella poisoning have been reported in Beaufort County, SC including one case matched to a national cluster, according to The Island Packet. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has had eight reports of gastrointestinal illness, lab tests have confirmed that the source is Salmonella. The food source has not been determined.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with state health officials to determine if an additional case is linked to a national outbreak. Officials have not said if the outbreak is one that has not yet been announced to the public or if it is one of two ongoing Salmonella outbreaks being investigated by the CDC. One is linked to live poultry from a mail order hatchery in Ohio and the other is linked to peanut butter and almond butter sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway and Kroger.
Salmonella poisoning symptoms, which include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, nausea, chills and headache, usually develop within 12 to 72 hours of exposure and last about a week. For some people, the diarrhea can be so severe that hospitalization is required. These patients can develop a more serious, sometimes fatal infection that spreads from the intestines to the blood stream. Children under 5, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems- including pregnant women are all at elevate risk for more serious Salmonella infections.
