Salmonella Case Confirmed In Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Columbus Public Health confirmed Columbus’ first salmonella case Tuesday afternoon.

NBC 4’s Matt Alvarez reported with the BOTTOMLINE.

Out of the 478 reported cases in the United States, 64 were from Ohio, including one in Columbus.

Columbus Public Health continued to work with the Ohio Department of Health, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other local health departments in a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium.

The Food and Drug Administration traced the outbreak to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corp. of America, which makes peanut butter and peanut paste and sells it to institutions and food companies. The outbreak might have contributed to the deaths of six people and sickened more than 470 others in 43 states.

Alvarez asked CPH spokesperson Jose Rodriguez why Ohio was leading the country in number of cases.

Rodriguez said he asked the same question to Center for Disease Control professionals, and there wasn’t an immediate answer.

The government advised consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods containing peanut butter until health officials learn more about the contamination. Peanut butter sold in jars to consumers is not included, officials said.

The FDA created a searchable list of recalled products and brands on the agency’s Web site. Click here for the complete list of recalled items.

Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, start 12 to 72 hours after exposure and last four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment.

Infants, elderly persons, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.

When severe infection occurs, salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Columbus Public Health requested health-care providers be alert for symptoms of salmonellosis.

Patients with compatible symptoms should obtain a history including recent travel, exposure to ill persons and animals and a food history, including peanut butter and peanut butter-containing products, and all restaurant meals eaten within the five days prior to the onset of symptoms.

Stool cultures should be requested to test for the presence of enteric pathogens including Salmonella, and if diarrhea is bloody, E. coli 0157:H7.

Report suspected and confirmed cases immediately to Columbus Public Health at 614-719-8888.

The Associated Press contributed information to this story.

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