Five Virginians are among the 100 victims of a Salmonella outbreak that is spreading through 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The case patients in Virginia are between the ages of 20 and 59 and are from the central and northwest part of the state, Michelle Stoll, a public information officer for the Virginia Department of Health, told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. None of the patients has required hospitalization, she said.
Demographic information about case patients from all 19 states shows patients range in age from 4 to 78 and that 47 percent are female and 53 percent are male, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
State and federal health officials have been working to identify the source of the outbreak but have not yet been able to pinpoint one, according to the CDC update. In many patient interviews, foods made from raw fish such as sushi and sashimi were mentioned, so they are among the foods being investigated.
All 100 patients have been sickened by a rare strain of Salmonella called Salmonella Bareilly. Salmonella poisoning can be serious and sometimes life-threatening, according to the CDC. Health officials urge anyone with symptoms including abdominal cramping, fever, nausea,vomiting, and bloody diarrhea to
