150 sick: C. perfringens also found in Louisiana jambalaya

Health Officials in Caldwell parish have now identified a second bacteria in a batch of Salmonella tainted chicken and sausage jambalaya that was sold at a fundraiser earlier this month.

Health officials say that the second bacteria, identified as Clostridium perfringens , also played a role in the severe illness that sent 150 people to area hospitals and may have contributed to one death.

Health officials are currently waiting an autopsy to see if the tainted food was a contributing factor in the death of a man who did go to the hospital with gastrointestinal issues.

In all state health officials say that as many as 300 people ate the tainted jambalaya and 149 have tested positive for Salmonella and the second bacteria.

Testing is underway to see which ingredient or ingredients were contaminated.

The results could be back in a couple of weeks.

Hundreds possibly sickened with Salmonella after jambalaya fundraiser in Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Health is investigating a Salmonella outbreak at a fundraising event that has left dozens of people sick.

The department is calling the incident “a possible food-related gastrointestinal disease outbreak” in Caldwell Parish, which is located in Northeast Louisana. The fundraising event, which was supported by several local businesses, was held on Monday. During the event, attendees purchased plates of jambalaya, which is the suspected cause.

The health agency says as of Thursday, 49 cases of gastrointestinal illness have been confirmed with 31 people hospitalized. One person has died but officials are still working to determine if the person’s death was caused by the Salmonella outbreak. The victims’ ages range from 15 to 70 years old.

While only a few dozen people have reported sickness, the dish was served to at least 300 people. The agency expects more reports of illness in the next several days.