Mason City, Iowa, is the center of a Salmonella outbreak investigation that preceded a wider outbreak notice announced Friday by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Mason City is the seat of government for Cerro Gordo County, which leads all 19 Iowa counties in the number of illnesses associated with an outbreak of salmonellosis that may be linked to poultry or eggs.
It was July 19 when Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health issued its first alert, saying in a press release that it had recently confirmed several cases of Salmonella infection. “With the recent outbreaks happening throughout Iowa, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that food safety is incredibly important and following these guidelines will help to keep you healthy,” said Brian Hanft, Cerro Gordo’s environmental health service manager.
Seven days later, the state medical director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, announced that local public health agencies throughout Iowa have received 26 reports of illness linked to a relatively uncommon strain of Salmonella. “Salmonella is commonly the result of improper handling or preparation of food,” Quinlisk said. “This particular strain is often associated with improper cooking of poultry or eggs.”
So far, the outbreak has not been linked to a particular food, but those who have fallen ill have been or will be interviewed about their recent food intake histories as part of standard epidemiological study in food poisoning cases. Iowa counties included in the case reports so far Allamakee (1), Black Hawk (1), Buena Vista (1), Cerro Gordo (4), Des Moines (1), Humboldt (1), Jasper (1), Kossuth (1), Madison (1), Mahaska (1), Marshall (1), Muscatine (1), Polk (3), Scott (1), Sioux (1), Story (1), Union (1), Webster (3), Woodbury (1).
