Salmonella in meat sick 15 in Sweden
More than a dozen people recently fell ill in Sweden with Salmonella infections after eating poorly cooked burgers.
An outbreak with 15 cases of salmonellosis after a lunch at a hotel restaurant was investigated by the local food authority and the regional public health authority in Jämtland Härjedalen.
The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak occurred among students and teachers from Fjällgymnasiet high school during a ski competition in northern Sweden.
Based on information from 11 patients, the first date for disease onset was January 28 and the last was February 4. The age range was 17 to 57 years with a median age of 19. Ten of the patients were men and one was female, all were from northern Sweden.
All the sick had a common meal where they ate ground (minced) burgers. Some of those who ate lunch reported that the burgers were clearly poorly cooked.
After finding Salmonella in samples of minced meat, further tracing of the batch of frozen beef and pork involved was carried out by local authorities, revealing that it came from Poland.
Salmonella was found in three of six meat samples but there is no ongoing risk of people getting sick as the batch involved was only distributed to restaurants and has now been withdrawn.
About Salmonella
Foods contaminated with Salmonella bacteria usually do not look away, smell or taste spoiled. Anyone can get sick from a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing a serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.
Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about any exposure to salmonella bacteria as special tests are needed to diagnose salmonella. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other diseases, often leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea can be so severe that patients require hospitalization.
Older adults, children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a serious illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people become infected without becoming ill or showing any symptoms. But they can still spread the infections to others.
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