The city of Boise Idaho has been struck by two Salmonella outbreaks within the last four months. One linked to the Pho Tam restaurant, the other linked to the Boise Co-op.
Patrons who visited Pho Tam in February and mid-March reported feeling ill after eating there. Five cases of Salmonella poisoning were linked to the restaurant.
At the Boise Co-op, at least 290 people got Salmonella poisoning after eating food purchased from the deli.
Salmonella is a pathogen that is transmitted vis the fecal-oral route, meaning people get sick when they consume food or beverages contaminated with microscopic amounts of fecal matter.
Symptoms of an infection, called salmonellosis, include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. Usually they 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.
