Salmonella Paratyphi B outbreak in Western North Carolina

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There’s a salmonellosis outbreak going on in western North Carolina. According to WYFF4.com, 27 individuals are part of a cluster of illnesses linked to Salmonella Paratyphi B infections.

Communicable Disease Nurses and Environmental Health Specialists are conducting interviews with people who currently have or have had the infection, reviewing laboratory reports and inspecting food sources that may be linked to the outbreak.Communicable disease experts from the North Carolina Division of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as food specialists from the N.C. Department of Agriculture are assisting with the investigations.

As of Friday morning, 27 possible cases have been identified.  The source of contamination had not been confirmed.

All cases appear to have been associated with residence or travel to Buncombe County since Feb. 28, 2012.

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About Ben Chapman

Dr. Ben Chapman is a professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. As a teenager, a Saturday afternoon viewing of the classic cable movie, Outbreak, sparked his interest in pathogens and public health. With the goal of less foodborne illness, his group designs, implements, and evaluates food safety strategies, messages, and media from farm-to-fork. Through reality-based research, Chapman investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers, and organizational decision-makers; the gate keepers of safe food. Ben co-hosts a biweekly podcast called Food Safety Talk and tries to further engage folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, maybe not surprisingly, Pinterest. Follow on Twitter @benjaminchapman.