2 years ago
Two Salmonella outbreak investigations that have sickened a total of more than 200 people are picking up steam at the FDA.
One has sickened at least 127 people with Salmonella Oranienburg infections and stretches across 25 states.
Although the source of the outbreak pathogen remains unknown, an update Sept. 22 from the Food and Drug Administration shows that in addition to ongoing traceback efforts the agency has begun sample collections and testing. The agency did not provide any information about where the samples were collected or whether they came from patients, food or locations where food is produced or sold.
The other outbreak involves Salmonella Thompson and has sickened at least 78 people. The FDA has begun onsite inspections of unnamed locations, according to the update.
The FDA is working with state officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the outbreak investigations.
The table below shows ongoing outbreak investigations being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages. Some outbreaks have limited information with active investigations ongoing, others may be near completion or concluded. The table below has been abbreviated to show only active investigations.
The Food and Drug Administration will issue public health advisories for outbreak investigations that result in “specific, actionable steps for consumers — such as throwing out or avoiding specific foods — to take to protect themselves,” according to the outbreak table page.
Not all recalls and alerts result in an outbreak of foodborne illness. Not all outbreaks result in recalls.
Outbreak investigations that do not result in specific, actionable steps for consumers may or may not conclusively identify a source or reveal any contributing factors, according to CORE’s outbreak table page. If a source(s) and/or contributing factors are identified that could inform future prevention, FDA commits to providing a summary of those findings, according to CORE officials.