Salmonella outbreak hits 42 states

National Report

-- A multi-state investigation is underway to determine the source of a

Salmonella Typhimurium

outbreak that has been reported in 42 states.

No potential source or food has been identified as the cause, says Lola Russell, spokeswoman with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is investigating along with the Food & Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and various state health departments.

The CDC began its multi-state investigation in November 2008. So far, 388 people have been sickened and 18 percent of them have been hospitalized. No deaths have been linked to the outbreaks, Russell tells DVM Newsmagazine.

Only one state, Ohio, has gone public with information about its outbreak, Russell adds. In fact, 50 Ohioans have been been infected with the bacterial pathogen thus far.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is participating in the multi-state investigation with the CDC and other agencies.

The ODH says its cases match each other by their DNA fingerprint, and thus appear to have a common origin.

While no source has been identified, previous cases of S. Typhimurium have been linked to contaminated raw milk, cheese, poultry, produce and the handling of small turtles, Russell says.