Personal Injury Law

Hawaii Salmonella Ahi Toll Now 34 - Additional Illness in California and Colorado

By Bill Marler, Esq.

The Honolulu Advertiser reported this morning that the Hawaii State Department of Health says a new case of salmonella poisoning has been confirmed on Oahu, bringing to 34 the number of such infections since October. The latest case involves someone who reported eating ahi poke bought at a local market, the department said in a news release yesterday. Previous investigations have identified raw imported frozen ahi used in ahi poke as a source of illness in the other cases since October. Additional cases of fish-related illnesses have been reported in Colorado and California.

Salmonella is one of the most common enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States. Salmonellosis (the disease caused by Salmonella) is the second most common foodborne illness after Campylobacter infection. It is estimated that 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis occur each year in the U.S.; 95% of those cases are foodborne-related. Approximately 220 of each 1000 cases result in hospitalization and eight of every 1000 cases result in death. About 500 to 1,000 or 31% of all food-related deaths are caused by Salmonella infections each year. Salmonellosis is more common in the warmer months of the year.

Full post as published by Marler Blog on February 16, 2008 (boomark / email).