Update: More Illinoisans Are Sick From Salmonella Outbreak

It's not going away. The multistate outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections has grown to 592 infections in 36 different states, including Illinois and Wisconsin.

It's also mysterious. The outbreak picked up 173 new cases since the CDC’s last report on September 30th, and during that time, hospitalizations have increased by 50 for a total of 116.

The CDC Is Still Trying To Figure Out Where This Is Coming From

State and local public health officials continue to interview people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. The CDC is analyzing the data and has not identified a specific food item as a potential source of this outbreak.

CDC:

During the investigation, health officials are continuing to collect three types of data: epidemiologic, traceback, and food and environmental testing.

Health officials assess all of these types of data together to try to find the likely source of the outbreak. They take action, such as warning the public, when there is clear and convincing information linking illness to a contaminated food.

Is There A Certain Age Group That's Being Affected More Than Others?

Unlike COVID-19, which has shown itself to be more dangerous the older you are, the current Salmonella outbreak is extremely inclusive. According to data on the CDC website, Sick people range in age from less than 1 year to 97 years, with a median age of 36, and 57% are female. Of 363 people with information available, 116 (32%) have been hospitalized, but thankfully, no deaths have been reported.

Here Are The Numbers Of People Sickened In The Midwest

• Illinois: 34
• Wisconsin: 24
• Iowa: 3
• Missouri: 10
• Michigan: 9
• Indiana: 1
• Kentucky: 9

Texas leads the nation with 149 people sickened, followed by Oklahoma with 92. Virginia is third with 54, followed by Illinois with 34. The CDC thinks the numbers are probably much higher than what they're seeing because many people get better without medical care, and are not tested for Salmonella.