The Estill County Health Department has issued an update to the outbreak that occurred about a week ago. There are now 71 people with gastrointestinal illness in Estill County, Kentucky. Thirty five cases of Salmonella have been confirmed in a laboratory. At least 8 people have had to be hospitalized as a result of their illness. Local and state health officials are still looking for a source of the outbreak. Recently, a sports bar in Irvine, Kentucky voluntarily closed in relation to the outbreak, although neither state nor local health officials have confirmed the bar’s involvement.
Salmonella poisoning is one of the more common forms of foodborne illness. The CDC estimates that there are about 1.2 million cases of Salmonella infection in the United States each year. After infection, it may take up to 72 hours for symptoms to present. Once they present, most Salmonella infections cause symptoms including nausea, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping. People with compromised immune systems, children, and the elderly are all at an increased risk of developing a Salmonella infection. Even though Salmonella infections generally go away on their own, it is still important to contact a medical professional if you or a loved one begin to show symptoms of Salmonella poisoning.
