OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Health officials say dozens of Oklahomans have been infected with salmonella as part of a fast-growing outbreak.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported that 98 people in Oklahoma have confirmed salmonella oranienburg infections. It is the second highest number of infections of the 37 states currently impacted by a fast-growing outbreak.
Salmonella is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Officials say infections most often occur when a patient consumes contaminated water or food.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified ProSource Inc. as a common supplier of onions imported to many of the restaurants where sick people ate. Now, investigators are working to determine if other onions and suppliers are linked to the outbreak.
Americans are being warned to avoid eating, selling or serving fresh whole red, white or yellow onions distributed by ProSource Inc. that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico. Fresh whole onions are often sold in bulk bins in grocery stores and may have stickers on them identifying the brand or where they were grown. If you have unlabeled fresh whole red, white or yellow onions at home, throw them away and don’t eat them.
Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting. If you start experiencing symptoms, you are asked to call your healthcare provider and ask if testing is needed.
“Health department representatives will ask what you ate in the week before you started to get sick, so if you start feeling like you might have Salmonella, it’s a good idea to start making a list of the foods you’ve eaten during that time frame so that key information is readily available,” said Jolianne Stone, MPH, state epidemiologist.
Most people recover from a salmonella infection without treatment within four to seven days.