Salmonella outbreak in Catawba County, NC
As reported by the Observer:
Since Oct. 31, nearly 100 people have reported having salmonella symptoms -- including diarrhea, vomiting, cramping, headache and fever -- and 13 cases had been confirmed by Tuesday, said Maria Reese, a spokeswoman for Catawba County Public Health.Goblueridge.com reported that at least ten people's tests have come back positive for Salmonella.
Most of the people with symptoms had eaten at Carniceria y Taqueria Hermanos Chavez off of U.S. 321 Business in Newton, Reese said. The owner voluntarily closed the restaurant Friday after a visit from public health officials, Reese said.
An infectious dose of Salmonella is small, probably from 15 to 20 cells. Typically, non-typhoidal Salmonella produces a self-limiting febrile gastrointestinal illness that is indistinguishable from that caused by other bacterial enteric pathogens. Dehydration is the principal clinical concern. The incubation period – the time between ingestion of Salmonella bacteria and the onset of illness – varies from six to 72 hours.
Salmonella can cause three different kinds of illness: gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, and bacteremia.