Italian Meats are Linked to a Salmonella Outbreak that has Already Hospitalized a Dozen
At least three dozen people have already been identified in an outbreak of salmonella that has hit people in 17 states, this according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or “CDC.” The real number of victims, says national food poisoning lawyer Ron Simon, interviewed for this story, is likely closer to ten times that, or more. Simon stated “these victims are the ones who were sick enough to present to a hospital even with COVID protocols, and to be lucky enough to be tested. Most victims who seek medical treatment are given a generic diagnosis of ‘gastroenteritis,’ sometimes treated with antibiotics, and sent home.”
The source, says the CDC, is Italian-style meats, like pepperoni and prosciutto and salami. While lunch meats are often the source of listeria, according to Ron Simon, they can also carry salmonella and other bacteria, such as E. coli. Since these meats are often eaten as-is (not cooked by the consumer), once they are infected they can carry the potentially deadly pathogens directly to the human body.
The two strains of salmonella in this outbreak are Typhimurium and Infantis, two of more than 2200 strains of salmonella that have been identified by health experts.
Note: Some people have asked how they can know if their illness is linked to the contaminated products. According to Ron Simon, if a stool test is done and it is positive for salmonella, the stool sample is sent to the state health lab for serotyping. Once they know the serotype (like Typhimurium or Infantis), further genetic testing operates like a “rape kit” in criminal cases. If the DNA signature is the same as the other victims, the common source is sought out. In this case, the common source for the victims is Italian-style meats, like pepperoni and prosciutto and salami.
The states with the most number of victims so far are California and Arizona, but Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas all have 2 or three identified victims and Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York, Virginia and Maryland have at least one each.
