An outbreak of salmonella in Perry County has sickened 34 people so far, authorities said Monday.

Sheila Hahs, RN, communicable-disease coordinator for Perry County Health Department, said the outbreak�s cause has not been determined.

�Right now, we are just gathering information,� she said.

Hahs said the agency began receiving reports of positive salmonella diagnoses from Perry County Memorial Hospital in worrying numbers Aug. 7.

While the department receives three to five confirmed salmonella cases each year, Hahs said incidents on the scale of the current outbreak are rare. She said the county has gone a decade or more without seeing this many cases at once.

�Every case is individual, so I really can�t compare, but for our area, I can tell you, this is definitely above average,� she said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is assisting the Perry County Health Department in investigating possible causes.

Of the 1.2 million cases of reported salmonella each year, roughly 1 million are caused by contaminated food, according to statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC has also investigated several outbreaks already this summer, one of which involved the recall of pasta salad sold at all Hy-Vee grocery stores, including those in Missouri. That outbreak, according to CDC figures, resulted in at least 79 illnesses. At least 100 others were sickened by Kellogg�s Honey Smacks cereal around the same timeframe.

In June and July of this year, the CDC also found more than 200 cases of salmonella in more than 40 states linked to backyard poultry flocks, which can carry salmonella bacteria and pass it to humans without showing symptoms.

Most people who contract salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, however, most also recover without needing treatment, according to information available on the CDC�s website.

Salmonella infections sometimes cause serious or even fatal dehydration, especially in the old, young or immuno-compromised. Roughly 450 people die each year from salmonella, but Hahs said no deaths have been reported in the Perry County situation.

To lower risk of salmonella poisoning, the CDC recommends thorough cooking of poultry, ground beef and eggs before consumption, avoiding unpasteurized milk and washing hands with soap after touching birds, reptiles or pet feces.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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