Salmonella Outbreak at WA Restaurant Grows to 94

By News Desk | October 16, 2012 At least 94 people are now suspected to have been sickened with Salmonella at an On the Border in Vancouver, Wash. since September 20, Clark County Public Health told Food Safety News Tuesday. That number includes 29 laboratory-confirmed cases and 65 probable. Probable cases are people with known exposure and corresponding symptoms, but no laboratory tests to confirm their infection. At least one of the patients is a resident of Oregon, while Clark County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said he believed he heard that another patient was from California. The bacteria strain at the center of the outbreak, Salmonella Virchow, is a relatively rare strain in the U.S. The Washington State Department of Health has posted these illnesses on PulseNet, a national epidemiology network, in an effort to track other potential Salmonella Virchow outbreaks around the country. The restaurant was allowed to reopen this week after a temporary closure. Health officials have stated that it may not be possible to determine the source of the outbreak. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks » Tags: On the Border, Salmonella, Salmonella Virchow