The Salmonella Paratyphi B outbreak linked to tainted tempeh produced in Asheville NC continues to expand slowly. Over the weekend, two more cases were confirmed, bringing the total in Buncombe County to 64, according to the county health department. There are also at least 21 other cases in other parts of North Carolina.
When the outbreak was first announced April 27, a total of 27 people had been sickened by the rare strain Salmonella Paratyphi B.
The disease is spread by ingesting food contaminated with the bacteria or through person-to-person contact. In this case, those initially sickened contracted infections after eating contaminated tempeh, produced by Smiling Hara of Asheville. Subsequent cases were likely caused by person-to-person transmission, health authorities have said.
Symptoms of Salmonella Paratyphi B infection, called Paratyphoid Fever, include headache, stomach pain, bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite and gradually increasing fatigue and fever that may eventually become as high as 102°F–104°F, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The onset of illness begins anywhere from 6 to 30 hours after exposure.
Health officials urge anyone with those symptoms, to seek medical attention and remind everyone that good hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of disease.
