According to the Buncombe County Department of Health an additional five illnesses have been added to a cluster of illnesses linked to travel to Buncombe Co (and eating or drinking something there?).

The Buncombe County Department of Health reports that 5 more cases of Salmonella Paratyphi B were identified over the weekend, bringing the total to 34, as of Monday, April 30, 2012. The local health department is working with NC Department of Public Health, Center for Disease Control, US Department of Agriculture and others to continue intensive testing, interviewing, and epidemiological investigation of the outbreak in order to squelch the spread of the disease. Cases still appear to have been associated with residence or travel to Buncombe County since February 28, 2012. A single source of infection has not been confirmed.

WYFF4 reports that Buncombe County Health Director Gibbie Harris said there have also been cases confirmed in other parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and New York.

"None of us think that we’ve seen the peak of this yet," said Harris. "This (strain) has a longer incubation period, so you can go up to 30 days after being exposed before you actually show symptoms."

Harris said this particular strain is also different than the strain of salmonella usually seen because it’s treated with an antibiotic and causes more severe symptoms.