Salmonella Hartford Outbreak Sickens 75
Update to information below: This Salmonella Hartford outbreak has been associated with Taco Bell restaurants, according to health officials.
A multistate Salmonella outbreak is being investigated by public health officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced. The outbreak involves two strains of the pathogen: Salmonella Hartford and Salmonella Baildon.
Although no restaurant or food service establishment has been named in connection with the outbreak, the CDC points to a Mexican-style food chain as a possible common link between the illnesses. According to the CDC, "In each study, analysis indicates that eating at a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain, ... is associated with some illnesses."
Salmonella Hartford Outbreak
So far, the CDC is reporting that 75 people from 15 states have become ill with a matching strain of Salmonella Hartford since early April. The cases are distributed geographically as follows: CO (1), GA (1), IL (5), IN (11), KY (23), MA (2), MI (3), MT (1), NC (1), NH (1), NY (1), OH (19), PA (1), SC (1) and WI (4). Patients range in age from 1 to 80 years old and 15 hospitalizations have so far been reported.
No particular food item was cited as a potential source of the outbreak, but, according to the CDC, "Ill persons (60 %) were significantly more likely than well persons (21%) to report eating at Restaurant Chain A in the week before illness." Outbreak victims reported eating at 13 different locations of this restaurant chain in the week before their illness and four locations were identified in connection with more than one ill person.
