Salmonella in Kansas: Eleven Cases Linked to One Restaurant
June 25th, 2008 amy
The Kansas Department of Health has linked eleven salmonella cases to a Newton restaurant, KAKE News reports, but the name of the restaurant wasn’t released. This Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak is unrelated to the nationwide strain involving tomatoes.
Rita Flickinger, director of the county’s health department, told CIDRAP News that the illnesses surfaced in the wake of a large youth basketball tournament held in Newton, the Harvey County seat, in early June. A total of 650 teams from 15 different states competed in the Mid America Youth Basketball tournament, which was held in several Kansas towns. She said 64 of the teams, mostly 8th grade boys and girls, competed at venues in Newton. Flickinger said that because of the expanding scope of the outbreak, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is taking over the epidemiologic investigation.
According to the CDC, Salmonella Enteritidis is one of the most common Salmonella serotypes and sources of foodborne disease in the United States. Symptoms can include abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea. Most folks recover without serious complication, but many cases do require hospitalization if complications do occur. The elderly, the very young, and those with compromised immune systems usually get the sickest, and in rare cases death can occur do to complications of the infection.












