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A Salmonella outbreak attributed to tainted kratom continues to make headlines across the United States.
In the most recent developments, four items from the retailer Torched Illusions were added to the list of products that have tested positive for Salmonella (image below; click to enlarge on desktop computer). In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Tamarack Inc. of Roy, UT, voluntarily recalled Eclipse Kratom-containing powder products.
Shortly before those announcements, PDX Aromatics of Portland, OR, expanded its recall in response to additional positive Salmonella results.
Products and companies associated with tainted kratom that tested positive for Salmonella.
Tainted kratom:
Outbreak persists
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked tainted kratom to a Salmonella outbreak in which 87 people have become infected across 35 states.
Twenty-seven victims have been hospitalized. The last reported illness was Feb. 24. No deaths have been reported.
The CDC reports that the Salmonella outbreak – which first made headlines February 20 – began last October. People who have become sick are between the ages of 6 and 67 years, with a median age of 39. A majority (48) of the victims are male.
Four Salmonella strains have been identified:
- Salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:- (50 cases)
- Salmonella Javiana (5)
- Salmonella Okatie (16)
- Salmonella Thompson (16).
Consumers have purchased kratom from retail locations and online. The CDC recommends that kratom not be consumed in any form.
Tainted kratom has been blamed for a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 87 people in 35 states.
Tainted kratom:
Kratom facts
Kratom trees are grown in Southeast Asia. Its leaves have been used to relieve pain for centuries.
Kratom leaves can be eaten raw, but they are more likely to be crushed and brewed as tea. They also can be turned into capsules, tablets, and liquids.
Kratom is a stimulant when consumed in small doses. In larger amounts, however, it is a sedative. That is when problems can arise.
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said consuming too much can lead to psychotic symptoms and psychological addiction.
The CDC reports that about 42 percent of kratom usage between 2010 and 2015 required treatment. Those cases did not involve life-threatening symptoms.
However, about 7 percent of exposures were classified as “life-threatening.” The DEA reports that there were 15 kratom-related deaths between 2014 and 2016.
Some scientists have said kratom could be important to treating chronic pain. It could even be used to combat opioid addiction, they said.
The DEA, however, moved to ban the sale of kratom last fall, citing an “imminent hazard to public safety.” The DEA had said at the time it would make kratom a “Schedule 1” drug, which would place it in a category with heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and even marijuana. That decision was delayed, however, after members of Congress urged the DEA to give the public time to comment.
According to the FDA, other names for kratom are: Mitragyna speciosa, mitragynine extract, biak-biak, cratom, gratom, ithang, kakuam, katawn, kedemba, ketum, krathom, krton, mambog, madat, Maeng da leaf, nauclea, Nauclea speciosa, or thang.
Tainted kratom:
Salmonella facts
CDC statistics show that as many as 1 million Americans are sickened by Salmonella annually. The bacteria produce salmonellosis, which affects the intestinal tract. Salmonellosis develops anywhere from 12 hours to three days after the ingestion of Salmonella-tainted products.
Symptoms can last as long as a week. They can include:
- diarrhea
- abdominal pain and vomiting
- fever and chills.
Most people recover without treatment. Sometimes, however, diarrhea becomes so severe that hospitalization is required.
Of the 1 million annual cases of infection, the CDC says 19,000 victims will need to be hospitalized. About 380 victims will die.
People most at risk for complications are children younger than 5, women who are pregnant, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
Salmonella complications
Complications can happen when Salmonella bacteria enter the bloodstream. Complications can result in:
- 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, usually involving the valves.
- osteomyelitis: which is an inflammation of bones (usually legs, arms, or spine).
- reactive arthritis (also known as Reiter’s syndrome): which is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body.
Pregnancies at risk
Pregnant women are more susceptible to Salmonella because their immune systems are suppressed due to hormonal changes. Complications during a pregnancy can result in miscarriage, premature labor, or stillbirth.
