Central Oregon Clinicians Alerted to Multistate Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak, but Officials Have Not Released Cases or a Source

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STAN HONDA | AFP via Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket Deschutes County Health Services, working with the Oregon Health Authority and other partners, has told doctors in Central Oregon that it is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections, Food Safety News reported. The notice went to clinicians through a Health Alert Network advisory.

The advisory does not name a food source, a case count, the other states involved or the dates people became sick. Those gaps leave families in Bend, Redmond and surrounding communities with an alert they cannot fully act on.

The practical message for households is still clear. Salmonella Enteritidis is often linked to eggs and poultry, and the advisory asks doctors to focus on those exposures. People with diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps should know that their doctor may ask about eggs, raw milk, chickens and restaurant meals, and may order a stool test.

The advisory asks clinicians to watch for illness consistent with salmonellosis and to take a food and exposure history covering the five days before symptoms began, according to Food Poison Journal, which published details of the advisory.

Clinicians were asked to focus on eggs and egg-containing foods, including fresh or locally sourced eggs. They were also asked about raw, unpasteurized milk and contact with animals such as chickens, baby chicks, lizards, snakes and turtles. The advisory requests specific restaurant names, locations and meal dates.

Doctors should consider stool testing for patients with diarrhea, which is sometimes bloody, fever and abdominal cramps. When a rapid PCR test finds Salmonella, clinicians are asked to follow up with a culture or send a specimen so public health labs can obtain the bacteria for genetic fingerprinting. That step lets investigators match local cases with illnesses in other states.

The advisory lists reporting lines for Deschutes County at 541-322-7418, Crook County at 541-447-5165 and Jefferson County at 541-475-4456 during business hours or 541-475-2201 after hours. The Oregon Health Authority’s line is 971-673-1111. Crook and Jefferson counties appear as reporting contacts, not as places with confirmed cases.

The public has received little beyond the clinician alert. The advisory says the county is investigating a multistate outbreak but does not say how many people are sick or whether anyone has been hospitalized. News reports first described it publicly on Oct. 11 and 12, and they did not give the date the advisory was issued.

Federal outbreak pages offer few clues. The CDC’s list of active outbreak investigations, updated Oct. 7, showed 16 active Salmonella investigations, but the CDC has not publicly linked any of them to Central Oregon.

The FDA’s outbreak investigation table, also updated Oct. 7, showed no active Salmonella Enteritidis entry. This year’s most recent Enteritidis outbreak, linked to shell eggs from Midwest Poultry Services, sickened 134 people in 18 states and was declared over in early September, according to the CDC.

Health agencies often hold back details until they have enough evidence to name a source. Naming a product too early can mislead consumers and harm businesses that are not responsible. But without a case count or a timeline, residents cannot judge whether the risk is ongoing.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection usually begin 6 hours to 6 days after infection and last 4 to 7 days, according to the CDC’s symptoms guide. They include diarrhea, which can be bloody, stomach cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting, and headache.

Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.

Call a doctor for diarrhea or vomiting that lasts more than two days, blood in the stool, a fever higher than 102 degrees, or signs of dehydration, such as little urination, a very dry mouth or dizziness. Severe dehydration, confusion, or a high fever in an infant or older adult needs urgent care.

Kitchen habits matter while the source is unknown. Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm, and cook egg dishes to 160 degrees. Refrigerate eggs, and avoid raw or lightly cooked eggs in homemade dressings, raw cookie dough, and similar foods, especially for children and older adults.

People who keep backyard chickens should wash their hands after handling birds, eggs or coops, keep poultry out of the house, and supervise children around chicks. Families should avoid raw, unpasteurized milk, which can carry Salmonella and other germs. The Oregon Health Authority notes that raw or undercooked eggs are a common source of infection.

People diagnosed with salmonellosis may get a call from public health investigators. Answering their questions about foods, restaurants, and animals helps them find the source faster. People who are sick should stay out of food handling, child care and patient care while they have diarrhea.

The outbreak could become public through a CDC notice, an FDA posting or a product recall if investigators identify a source. MedicalDaily will update this report when officials release case counts, affected states or a suspected food.

What did Central Oregon health officials announce?

Deschutes County Health Services told clinicians it is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections.

Officials have not released a case count, hospitalization numbers or the other states involved.

No source has been named. The advisory asks doctors about eggs, raw milk, animal contact, and restaurant meals.

Diarrhea, sometimes bloody, stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting, usually starting 6 hours to 6 days after infection.

Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.

Seek care for diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than two days, bloody stool, a fever higher than 102 degrees, or signs of dehydration.

Cook eggs thoroughly, avoid raw milk, wash hands after touching poultry or reptiles and keep kitchen surfaces clean.