A national outbreak of the Salmonella Typhimurium virus has infected 53 people in Ohio, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and may be linked to peanut butter.
The virus was found in a 5-pound tub of peanut butter, said Martin Kanan, CEO of Ohio based manufacturer King Nut Company, a peanut butter distributor for Peanut Corporation of America.
About 400 people have been infected in 42 states with the highest concentrations in California and Ohio, according to a CDC press release last Friday.
The disease has been reported since at least Sep. 3 although most cases began after Oct. 1. The most recent documented infection was Dec. 31, according to the report.
No cases of Salmonella have been reported yet in Athens, said an Athens City-County Health Department official.
Cross-contamination could be the cause of the virus' presence. Their product has not officially been liked to the national outbreak, Kanan said, adding, I didn't want to mess around with that so it thought it was best for our customers to pull back.
Salmonella Typhimurium is the most common form of Salmonella, said Lola Russell, spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control.
Most Salmonella infections usually resolve in five to seven days and don't require treatments other than oral fluids
she said.
The only [cases] we have confirmed dates for are ones [for patients] that have had stool taken by a health care professional Russell said.
Salmonella infection can only be determined by tests done by a health care professional, Russell said.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, according to the CDC.
Dining Halls at Ohio University do not use the potentially infected brands of peanut butter, said Gwyn Scott, executive director of Dining and Culinary Operations.
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Libby Cunningham
