With 23 illnesses and one hospitalization, New York has been hit hardest by the multi-state Salmonella Bareilly outbreak that has sickened at least 93 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The source of the outbreak, announced this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has not yet been determined, although dozens of patients reported eating sushi, sashimi or other raw fish prior to becoming ill.
Some, but not all of the, case patients In New York reported eating sushi before becoming ill, Peter Constantakes, a spokesman for the New York State Department of Health, told Food Poisoning Bulletin in an interview today. “It’s one of the suspects we’re looking at,” he said.
Most of the illnesses were concentrated in the city and in five counties in the greater New York City region including: Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Putnam and Westchester, he said. Onset of illness dates ranged from January 28 to March 8. One person was hospitalized, but was discharged and has recovered, said Constantakes.
New York health officials continue to work with federal authorities to narrow the search for the outbreak source. “Based on what we’ve seen, we have not seen any restaurant clusters,” he said. “We’re still interviewing patients and doing testing.”
