The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just updated the multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly (304 people) and Salmonella Nchanga (12 people) infections linked to a raw scraped tuna product imported by Moon Marine USA Corporation. That product, called Nakaochi scrape, was used to make sushi such as spicy tuna rolls sold at restaurants and grocery stores around the country.
The tuna was produced at Moon Fishery in India, a facility that was recently inspected and found in violation of safety laws by the FDA. Moon Fishery recently recalled raw tuna strips for possible Salmonella contamination.
As of May 17, 2012, a total of 316 people are ill in 26 states and the District of Columbia. There have been 37 hospitalizations and no deaths. The new states included in the outbreak are Colorado and Indiana.
The 58 new cases are from these states:
- Alabama (1)
- California (2)
- Colorado (1)
- Georgia (3)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maryland (3)
- Massachusetts (6)
- New Jersey (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (6)
- Pennsylvania (5)
- Tennessee (2)
- Texas (3)
- Virginia (6)
- Wisconsin (3)
Laboratory testing in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin has isolated the Salmonella bacteria from 96% of samples taken from unopened packages of frozen yellow fin tuna scrape from Moon Marine USA Corporation or from sushi prepared from that product. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis has established that the outbreak strains of Salmonella Bareilly and Salmonella Nchanga were found in the recalled product.
The case count for Salmonella Bareilly infections is 304:
- Alabama (3)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (4)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (9)
- District of Columbia (2)
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (13)
- Illinois (27)
- Indiana (1)
- Louisiana (4)
- Maryland (27)
- Massachusetts (33)
- Mississippi (2)
- Missouri (4)
- Nebraska (1)
- New Jersey (26)
- New York (48)
- North Carolina (10)
- Pennsylvania (25)
- Rhode Island (6)
- South Carolina (3)
- Tennessee (4)
- Texas (7)
- Virginia (22)
- Vermont (1)
- Wisconsin (19)
The case count for Salmonella Nchanga infections is 12:
- Georgia (2)
- New Jersey (2)
- New York (6)
- Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
Illness onset dates range from January 28, 2012 to May 3, 2012. The patients range in age from less than 1 year to 86 years, with a median age of 30. Fifty-nine percent of the patients are female. According to the epi curve, officials expect at least 42 more cases before the outbreak ends.
The CDC has assembled a timeline of events to show the scope of this outbreak and how public safety officials solved the case. The government also has advice to consumers about the product and what to do if you experience the symptoms of food poisoning.
Map provided courtesy of the CDC
