Salmonella Outbreak in Sushi Rolls On

It might be a good idea to lay off the sushi for a while as it has been doing damage across the United States. As of May 2, a reported 258 people in 24 different states and the District of Columbia have gotten sick from two different strands of salmonella found in raw scraped tuna.

The sicknesses have been linked to the salmonella Bareilly strain and salmonella Nchanga infections. Reportedly, at least 247 have been linked to Bareilly and another 11 to Nchanga.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention first reported the outbreak on April 4 and is still investigating the outbreak.

The states affected, along with the number of those affected are: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), California (2), Connecticut (9), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (10), Illinois (23), Louisiana (3), Maryland (24), Massachusetts (27), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (25), New York (39), North Carolina (4), Pennsylvania (20), Rhode Island (6), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (4), Virginia (16), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (16).

Luckily, no deaths have been reported, but 32 victims have been hospitalized.

Moon Marine U.S.A. Corp. was linked as the probable cause of the outbreak and in mid-April, it recalled 58,828 pounds of its frozen tuna product.

Two women from Wisconsin said they became ill after eating the tainted sushi and have filed lawsuits against Moon Marine. One of the women was comfortable enough to share that she suffered from bloody diarrhea.

The CDC estimated that for every salmonella infection detected, 29.3 cases go unreported. Using that multiplier, 7,559 people may have been affected so far by the tainted tuna outbreak.

Not only sushi, but Moon Marine tuna is usually used for sashimi and ceviche, as well as dishes in some restaurants and grocery stores.

Most symptoms of salmonella will usually occur within 12 to 72 hours. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

Illnesses that occurred after April 4 might not be reported yet. If you feel you have suffered any symptoms, it is suggested to contact a healthcare provider.

[Thx CDC, Vitals and NY Daily News]