Submitted by Fox First at Ten on September 25th
UPDATE: The Washington State Department of Health reports a teenage boy between the ages of 13-18 was diagnosed with salmonella.He got sick 6 weeks ago, and his symptoms were bad enough he saw a doctor and was then diagnosed. Donn Moyer of the Washington DOH says the boy had the same strain of salmonella as the strain found in peanut butter recently recalled from Trader Joe's; a recall Moyer says has been expanded to other stores.While the health department can't say it's a direct link, it is a "probable" case linked to the tainted peanut butter. A boy younger than 12 was also diagnosed with the same strain in Thurston County. The Washington DOH reports these are the only two cases in the state.Moyer says there are 2,000 strains of Salmonella, and 600-800 cases are diagnosed in Washington every year, most of which are never linked to a source because you can get salmonella from a variety if sources. The DOH has no updates on the conditions of either boy.
UPDATE: A teenage boy contracted salmonella in the Spokane area about 6 weeks ago, according to the CDC. He was treated and his status is unknown at this hour. As soon as we get more details we'll post them. We're told the strain of salmonella is the same one from the Trader Joe's peanut butter.
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The grocery store chain Trader Joe's is recalling peanut butter that has been linked to 29 salmonella illnesses in 18 states.
The Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control said Saturday that the store's Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, which is sold nationwide, is the likely source of the outbreak. The agencies are investigating whether any other items sold at the store could be contaminated.
More than three-fourths of those who became ill were children under the age of 18. No deaths have been reported.
The FDA issued a statement Saturday saying that the FDA, the CDC and the state of California briefed Trader Joe's on its investigation showing the link between the peanut butter and the illnesses on Sept. 20. The company then agreed to remove the product from store shelves.
The government did not release which states had reported illnesses, but several states, including Washington State, have issued warnings to residents not to eat the peanut butter. According to the individual states' health departments, three cases were in Massachusetts, one was in Rhode Island and one was in North Carolina.
The CDC said people became sick between June 11 and Sept. 2. Information may not be available for those who were sickened after August.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. It is most dangerous to children, the elderly and others with weak immune systems.
