Sick with Salmonella?
Call (612) 337-6126
Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people sickened by Salmonella, and he is currently representing four clients in the national Salmonella outbreak from contaminated eggs. If you or a family member got sick in this Georgia Salmonella outbreak, please call (612) 337-6126, or complete the following:
Four people are in the hospital and at least 70 have been sickened in a Georgia Salmonella outbreak.
The Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments has linked the majority of the cases to an April 28 event in Newton County, about 40 miles southeast of Atlanta.
Alana Sulka, the director of epidemiology and community health, told the Rockdale Newton Citizen that the outbreak was first reported to her office on May 4. In an emailed response to questions from the newspaper, Sulka said the Health Departments are investigating the outbreak, including “identifying the source and commonalities among those that are ill.”
The Health Departments said the outbreak does not appear to be linked to the Salmonella outbreak making news across the country. The culprit in that outbreak is contaminated eggs.
Georgia Salmonella outbreak:
Source still unknown
The specific bacteria associated with this Georgia Salmonella outbreak have not been identified, the department said. The testing process can be lengthy, and the department is still waiting on results for many of those tested.
“At this time, the investigation is ongoing and we do not have a definitive source of infection for all of the cases,” a spokeswoman said.
Sulka said most victims have sought medical treatment with their primary care physicians or through urgent care centers.
“At this point, we are aware of four individuals who were hospitalized due to their illness,” Sulka wrote in her email to the Citizen.
Four people have been hospitalized and at least 70 have been sickened in a Georgia Salmonella outbreak about 40 miles outside Atlanta. The majority of the cases have been linked to an April 28 event in Newton County.
Georgia Salmonella outbreak:
Information about Salmonella
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that Salmonella bacteria cause as many as 1.2 million cases of food poisoning in the United States on a yearly basis.
Salmonella produce salmonellosis, which affects the intestinal tract. Salmonellosis can develop anywhere from 12 hours to three days after eating food contaminated with Salmonella.
As with most types of food poisoning, symptoms usually include:
- diarrhea
- abdominal pain
- vomiting
- fever
- chills.
Symptoms can last up to a week, and most people recover without needing to see a doctor. In some cases, however, diarrhea can be so severe that hospitalization is necessary.
The CDC estimates that of the 1.2 million annual cases, 23,000 victims will require hospitalization, and about 450 will die. People most at risk for developing complications are pregnant women, young children (under 5), senior citizens, and those with suppressed immune systems.
Complications of Salmonella
Salmonellosis complications can occur when Salmonella bacteria enter the bloodstream. Those complications can produce conditions such as:
- meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
- endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart’s inner lining that usually involves the heart valves.
- osteomyelitis, which is a type of bone inflammation that usually affects the legs, arms, or spine.
- reactive arthritis, or Reiter’s syndrome, which is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to a Salmonella infection in another part of the body.
Pregnant women must be especially vigilant about avoiding Salmonella because their immune systems are weakened due to hormonal changes. A pregnant woman who contracts salmonellosis can go into labor prematurely, suffer a miscarriage, or even experience stillbirth.
Most common affected foods
Many different foods can carry Salmonella, such as dairy, meat, fish, raw fruits, raw vegetables, spices, and nuts. In 2015-16, the CDC reported nine Salmonella outbreaks in the U.S., attributed to these contaminated foods:
- eggs
- alfalfa sprouts
- pistachios
- packaged organic shake and meal product
- nut butter spread
- cucumbers
- pork
- frozen chicken
- frozen raw tuna.
