People in 25 states sickened in mysterious salmonella outbreak

At least 127 people in 25 U.S. states fell ill due to a mysterious salmonella outbreak that began in August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday.

According to the CDC statement, Texas has the highest total of reported cases of Salmonella Oranienburg with 45. 

Salmonella Oranienburg is the main strain observed in the current outbreak. Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and possible nausea, vomiting or headache, WGN Chicago affiliate reported.

The CDC also said that 18 out of 49 people whose medical information was made available have been hospitalized due to the bacterial infection.  

The agency added that health officials are trying to figure out if a possible food item was the source of the new outbreak. 

“Several groups of people (‘subclusters’) at restaurants in multiple states have been identified,” the CDC said in its statement.

“These subclusters are groups of people who do not know one another who ate at the same restaurant and got sick. Investigating these subclusters can sometimes help identify a food item eaten by all of the sick people that could be the source of the outbreak.”

The agency also noted that the number of sick people is likely higher as not all infected individuals will receive medical attention and testing. It may take three to four weeks to determine if a person is sick from the outbreak, it added.