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Salmonella cases in Iowa and 5 other states linked to ground beef: Supplier unknown

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November 2nd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

A multi-state salmonella outbreak has sickened 10 people and caused one death. CNN reports officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak is believed to be connected to ground beef. So far, no one supplier has been linked to the outbreak. People who have been sick reported eating different brands, purchased from several locations. Eight people have been hospitalized.

Of the eight people interviewed, six said they ate the ground beef at home. People who get sick from salmonella typically develop a fever, diarrhea and stomach cramps about 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. Typically, an illness will last 4 to 7 days, most people recover without treatment, but sometimes an illness can be so bad a patient will need to be hospitalized. The outbreak has been identified in six states. The person who died lived in California. Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa also have had patients, according to the CDC.

Lab tests identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin in repackaged leftover ground beef that was collected from the California home of one of the people who got sick. People started getting sick in August. Of the nine people who got sick, eight were hospitalized, which the CDC is much higher than we would expect for salmonella infections. Typically, the hospitalization is usually about 20%. The investigation will continue and the CDC promises to keep the public updated.