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Unknown Italian-style meats sicken 36 in 14 States

Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections

Twenty-three sick people have been reported from 14 states.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 30, 2021, to July 27, 2021.

Sick people range in age from 4 to 91 years, with a median age of 44, and 67% are male. Of 21 people with information available, 9 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Officials also obtained sick people’s shopper records with their consent. Of the 16 people with information, 14 (88%) ate Italian-style meats, including salami, prosciutto, coppa, and soppressata, that can often be found in antipasto or charcuterie assortments; several brands were reported. This percentage was significantly higher than the 40% of respondents who reported eating pepperoni or other Italian-style meats in the FoodNet Population Survey—a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This comparison suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating Italian-style meats.

Outbreak of Salmonella Infantis infections

Thirteen sick people have been reported from seven states.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 9, 2021, to June 24, 2021.

Sick people range in age from 1 to 74 years, with a median age of 41 years, and 31% are male. Of 10 people with information available, 3 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick and collected their shopper records with their consent. Of the 8 people with information, all (100%) ate Italian-style meats, including salami and prosciutto, that can often be found in antipasto or charcuterie assortments; several brands were reported. This percentage was significantly higher than the 40% of respondents who reported eating pepperoni or other Italian-style meats in the FoodNet Population Survey—a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This comparison suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating Italian-style meats.

Public Health Actions

Investigators are working to identify which Italian-style meat brands and products are making people sick.

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