A crush of media interest in Wisconsin as a hot spot in the 19-state Salmonella Bareilly outbreak has prompted the state Department of Health Services to schedule a daily 4 p.m. update, when applicable, to accommodate health reporters from across the country. For now, state officials already have upped the number of confirmed outbreak cases to nine. The original Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report had Wisconsin with 8 of the country’s 93 illnesses.
Stephanie Smiley, Communications Director for Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services, Office of the Secretary, told Food Poisoning Bulletin that there are now four confirmed infections of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly in Milwaukee County and five in nearby Waukesha County. The two counties help comprise the most densely populated area of the state.
Three of Wisconsin’s case patients in this outbreak have been hospitalized compared to seven hospitalizations combined for all other states.
The CDC continues to say that no specific food source has been identified as the cause of the outbreak, which has developed rapidly over the past two months and undoubtedly will result in more confirmed infections as stool tests on suspected victims are completed.
While the specific ingredient or batch of fish has not been found, the investigation has centered somewhat on spicy tuna rolls and other sushi, sashimi or similar raw foods in various areas of the country.
According to CDC outbreak investigation reports for 2012, the multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly infections is the largest U.S. food poisoning outbreak of the year.
