Salmonella may have sickened as many as 50 people who attended a church conference at Living Word Tabernacle Church in Bessemer City, NC, according to the Gaston County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). Seven people have confirmed cases of salmonellosis and tests results are pending on others who attended the conference October 1-5.
“Our public health staff is working closely with the church, the North Carolina Division of Public Health, and the community,” said Chris Dobbins, DHHS director. “Our priority is to identify those who have fallen ill, ensure they have received proper medical attention, and work together to identify a source so we can educate and prevent future outbreaks of this nature.”
Salmonellosis is an infection that develops when food or beverages contaminated with fecal matter containing Salmonella bacteria is ingested. Symptoms, which include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever, usually appear within six to 72 hours of exposure and last up to a week. In some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that hospitalization is required. These patients can develop a more serious, sometimes fatal infection that spreads from the intestines to the blood stream.
Those most at risk for Salmonella infection are young children, seniors, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems.
