Did health-types mean to go public yesterday about the apparent Salmonella-in-maybe-sushi outbreak? The initial reporting attributed the news to an internal e-mail at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but today, the Centers for Disease Control put out the official word.

A total of 93 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly have been reported from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (4), District of Columbia (2), Georgia (4), Illinois (8), Louisiana (2), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (4), Mississippi (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (6), New York (23), North Carolina (2), Pennsylvania (2), Rhode Island (4), South Carolina (3), Texas (3), Virginia (5), and Wisconsin (8).

10 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Among 93 persons for whom information is available, illness onset dates range from January 28 to March 23, 2012. Ill persons range in age from 4 to 78 years, with a median age of 31. Forty-six percent of patients are female.

Among 51 ill persons for whom information is available, 35 (69%) reported consuming sushi, sashimi, or similar foods in the week before illness onset. This percentage is higher than expected compared with results from a survey of healthy persons in which 5% of persons reported consuming sushi, sashimi, or ceviche made with raw fish or shellfish in the 7 days before they were interviewed. The investigation into specific types of sushi is ongoing.

The investigation has not conclusively identified a food source.

The investigation is ongoing into individual food items and their sources.
CDC and FDA are working together on the investigation and will provide updates as soon as they are available.

If a specific food source is identified for this outbreak, public health officials will alert the public and take further steps to prevent additional illnesses.