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Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak Grows

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta Tuesday added four people and two states to the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to Italian-style salami manufactured by the Rhode Island-based Daniele Inc.

CDC now says a total of 217 individuals infected with a matching strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from 44 states and District of Columbia since July 1, 2009.

The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is as follows: AK (1), AL (2), AZ (5), CA (30), CO (4), CT (5), DC (1), DE (2), FL (3), GA (3), IA (1), ID (2), IL (14), IN (3), KS (3), LA (1), MA (12), MD (1), ME (1), MI (4), MN (5), MO (1), MS (1), NC (9), ND (1), NE (1), NH (1), NJ (8), NM (2), NY (18), OH (9), OK (1), OR (9), PA (6), RI (2), SC (1), SD (3), TN (5), TX (7), UT (9), VA (1), WA (15), WI (1), WV (1), and WY (2).

Because this is a commonly occurring strain, public health investigators may determine that some of the illnesses are not part of this outbreak.

CDC is collaborating with state health officials , the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the State of Rhode Island to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo infections.

Investigators are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak

Among the persons with reported dates available, illnesses began between July 4, 2009 and January 24, 2010. Infected individuals range in age from < 1 year old to 93 years old and the median age is 39 years. Fifty-two percent of patients are male. Among the 162 patients with available information, 42 (26 percent) were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

During January 16-21, 2010, CDC and public health officials in multiple states conducted an epidemiologic study by comparing foods eaten by 41 ill and 41 well persons. Preliminary analysis of this study has suggested salami as a possible source of illness. Ill persons (58 percent) were significantly more likely than well persons (16 percent) to report eating salami.

Additionally, 16 ill persons have been identified who purchased the same type of sliced salami variety pack at different grocery store locations before becoming ill.  These data suggest this product is the source of some of these illnesses.

This sliced salami variety pack was among 1.3 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats recently recalled by Daniele Inc.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on February 10, 2010 (boomark / email).