Hawaii Raw Ahi Salmonella Outbreak
Raw ahi tuna is believed to be the cause of a Salmonella outbreak in Hawaii and the same strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B has infected 13 other people in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York.
The Hawaii State Department of Health announced the outbreak today, saying it has found 10 confirmed cases on Oahu related to eating previously frozen internationally imported raw ahi. The fish often was prepared as poke, a traditional appetizer of cubed raw fish in sauce and seasoning.
As of April 12 there also were 13 confirmed cases of Salmonella infection with the same pattern of Paratyphi B -- seven in California, two in Maryland, two in Pennsylvania, one in Massachusetts and one in New York.
Hawaii is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the other states to identify if those mainland patients were also exposed to raw ahi. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been asked to investigate international sources of frozen ahi tuna.
Hawaii Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said there is concern about the similarity between the current outbreak and a cluster of 35 Salmonella Paratyphi B infections confirmed in Hawaii between October 2007 and February 2008.
In that outbreak, the department determined that frozen imported ahi served raw in poke was the probable source of illness. Matching cases of Salmonella infection were found at that time in Colorado and California related to raw fish, but the commercial source of the contaminated tuna could not be traced.
“With the help of the FDA, we hope to identify the source so we can prevent any further illness,'' Fukino said.
Salmonella typically causes diarrhea that may be bloody and is often accompanied by abdominal cramps and fever. Symptoms typically begin within one to four days after exposure to the bacteria, although for S. Paratyphi B, incubation may take from five to seven days.
In infants, persons with poor underlying health, and those with weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections, including Reiter's syndrome.
If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms after eating raw fish, meat or poultry, seek immediate medical attention and ask the doctor to obtain a stool culture. Legal questions about this outbreak are being answered by national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), or via the contact form on the side of this Web page.
Our firm represents victims of food poisoning all over the country, including Hawaii. Over the years we have collected millions for clients in foodborne illness cases.
