Drug-Resistant Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Livestock Used In 4-H Projects

A salmonella Heidelberg outbreak sickened 21 people this year, landing eight of them in the hospital, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The strain of salmonella identified in the outbreak shows signs of multidrug-resistance, making the infections riskier than normal for people who get them.  Dairy bull calves from Wisconsin are the suspected culprit. The calves in question are raised for meat but were also purchased for projects for 4-H, a nationwide youth-focused program that involves children and young adults in hands-on agricultural work.  The outbreak spanned eight states ― California, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin ― between January and October. This is the seventh Salmonella outbreak in 2016. Previous CDC investigations this year have identified sprouts, nuts, poultry, egg shells and milkshake mixes as sources for past Salmonella outbreaks.   Of the 19 sickened people interviewed by investigators so far, 15 reported direct contact with these dairy bull calves or other kinds of cattle. Some also reported that they first started coming down with symptoms after their dairy bull calf got sick or died. The patients range in age from less than a year old to 72 years old, with a median age of 21.  In general, salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping. Symptoms start about 12 to 72 hours after the infection begins, and almost all of the e...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news