With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, the United States Food and Drug Administration has still been searching for the specific foods behind two salmonella outbreaks that have sickened 49 people nationwide.
The lack of knowledge about the outbreaks' sources has meant that families planning holiday meals have no specific products to look for in their kitchens or to leave off their grocery lists.
Here's what to know
Two Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks appeared on the Food and Drug Administration's foodborne outbreak investigation table on November 12, according to Medical Daily. One of the investigations, labeled Investigation 1425, included 35 reported illnesses, while the other, numbered 1427, reported 14.
The agency has released no information about patients' locations, ages, or hospitalizations. Both outbreaks remained ongoing as investigators traced foods that may be responsible, according to Medical Daily.
Salmonella Enteritidis has been among the country's most common types of salmonella, and different foods can cause separate outbreaks involving the strain. The FDA maintained separate listings for the two outbreaks and had not yet announced a connection between them.
Other outbreaks
The two Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks were not the only unresolved food-safety concerns. A Salmonella Javiana investigation, added Oct. 28, included 70 cases, while a listeria listing, added Sept. 23, reported 52.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the annual U.S. total of salmonella infections at approximately 1.35 million. For young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, early recognition of the illness is particularly important.
What's being done?
The FDA has been using traceback in both Salmonella Enteritidis investigations to look for a common food source, according to Medical Daily. That work has tracked foods that patients reported eating through supplier and distributor networks.
To confirm a case's connection to an existing outbreak, laboratory testing must genetically link a patient's sample to the outbreak strain. Further findings from federal and state health officials may change the reported case totals.
The total number of cases likely far exceeded the reported figure. The CDC estimated that roughly 30 people contract salmonella for each diagnosed infection, according to Medical Daily.
Where can I learn more?
Salmonella outbreaks and contamination warnings have affected foods ranging from romaine lettuce to eggs. These stories cover other food-safety emergencies.
• A U.S. romaine lettuce outbreak sickened 43 people before the FDA closed its investigation.
• Virginia oysters linked to 27 salmonella illnesses prompted a recall across 15 states.
• U.K. shoppers were told to discard repacked eggs after investigators traced salmonella to Ukraine.
• Whole Foods ashwagandha buyers were told to discard recalled bottles over salmonella concerns.
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