Minnesota Man Latest Victim in Salmonella Montevideo Pistachio Outbreak
To date, eleven people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo across nine states, with the latest date of onset reported to be February 9, 2016.
Dough Schultz, CCPH, information officer for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has confirmed Monday to Food Poisoning News that “the onset date for the Minnesota case was February 9th, 2016,” confirming that the Minnesota case is the most recent confirmed case in the ongoing outbreak. The Minnesota man did not require hospitalization, Schultz said, and has since recovered.
The single case of Salmonella Montevideo infection in Minnesota is part of a multi-state outbreak due to Wonderful Pistachios.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and public health agencies in other states to investigate an outbreak of salmonellosis associated with eating Wonderful Pistachios brand pistachios.
On March 9, Wonderful Pistachios of Lost Hills, Calif., voluntarily recalled selected in-shell and shelled pistachios due to possible Salmonella contamination. The pistachios were sold under the brand names Wonderful, Paramount Farms, and Trader Joe’s. Based on the information collected to date, health officials recommend not eating any of this product if packaging matches any of these product lot codes (PDF).
The other states confirming outbreak cases include Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Virginia, and Washington.
Under-Reporting: More Cases Likely
Many cases of salmonellosis do not seek health care and get tested, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, and the number of ill people that are part of this outbreak is likely to be larger than the identified cases.
“Consequently, health officials want to bring this outbreak to the attention of people who have become ill with symptoms of salmonellosis, but who have not yet consulted a health care provider. These people should mention this outbreak to their health care provider should they consult one,” the Department advises.
