Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak Sickens 184 Nationwide - Italian Sausage Suspected as the Source

The Centers for Disease Control ("CDC") is collaborating with public health officials in many states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections. Investigators are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak.

As of 12:00 pm EST on January 22, 2010, a total of 184 individuals infected with a matching strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from 38 states since July 1, 2009. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is as follows: AL (2), AZ (5), CA (30), CO (2), CT (4), DE (2), FL (2), GA (3), IA (1), IL (11), IN (3), KS (3), LA (1), MA (12), MD (1), ME (1), MI (1), MN (4), NC (9), ND (1), NE (1), NH (1), NJ (7), NY (15), OH (9), OK (1), OR (8), PA (3), RI (2), SC (1), SD (3), TN (3), TX (7), UT (7), VA (1), WA (14), WV (1), and WY (2). Because this is a commonly occurring strain, public health investigators may determine that some of the illnesses are not part of this outbreak.

Among the persons with reported dates available, illnesses began between July 2, 2009 and January 1, 2010. Infected individuals range in age from How an Outbreak is Investigated

A widely distributed contaminated food product might cause illnesses across the United States. The identity of the contaminated product often is not readily apparent. In outbreaks like this one, identification of the contaminated product requires conducting detailed standardized interviews with persons who were ill. It may also require conducting interviews with non-ill members of the public ("controls") to get information about foods recently eaten and other exposures to compare with information from the ill persons. The investigation is often supplemented by laboratory testing of suspected products. In addition, investigators sometimes use purchase information provided by ill persons to trace suspect products back to the point of production. This process is labor intensive and typically takes weeks. It is not always successful. As soon as a source of the outbreak is identified, if there is evidence of ongoing risk, public health officials advise the public to avoid the implicated product and recalls are conducted when appropriate. CDC and its public health partners are vigorously working to identify the specific contaminated product or products that are causing illnesses and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available.

Possible Link to Italian Sausage Products

As a result of the investigation, Daniele International Inc., an establishment with operations in Pascoag and Mapleville, R.I., has recalled 1,240,000 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) varieties of Italian sausage products, including salami/salame, in commerce and potentially available to customers in retail locations because they may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of the ongoing Salmonella Montevideo investigation. During the course of that investigation, a sample of product found in commerce was tested on behalf of a participating state department of health and found to contain Salmonella, which FSIS has a zero tolerance for in RTE products. The product tested was similar to products bought by customers who later became sick in the Salmonella Montevideo investigation, but currently there is not a direct link. The Salmonella Montevideo strain in the tested product does not appear to be the Montevideo strain of interest and further testing of the sample is ongoing at a state health partner laboratory. The FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available.

Danielle International, Inc. Recalls Sausage Products

Danielle International, Inc. has taken the additional action to voluntarily recall all products in commerce associated with black pepper, which the company believes is a possible source of contamination. The products subject to recall include:

10-ounce packages of "DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER."

Catch weight packages of "DANIELE PEPPER SALAME."

9-ounce packages of "BLACK BEAR OF THE BLACK FOREST BABY GENOA PEPPER SALAME."

20-ounce packages of "DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SMOKED SALAME, PEPPERED SALAME, RUSTIC SALAME."

340- and 454-gram packages of "DANIELE SURTIDO FINO ITALIANO, SALAMI GENOA CON PIMIENTA, LOMO CAPOCOLLO, SALAMI CALABRESE."

16-ounce packages of "DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO."

8-ounce packages of "DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION PARTY PLATTER PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO."

8-ounce packages of "DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO."

16-ounce packages of "DANIELE GOURMET COMBO PACK, PEPPER SALAME, CAPOCOLLO, CALABRESE."

500-gram packages of "DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK EMBALLAGE ASSORTI GOURMET ITALIEN, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, CALABRESE PIQUANT, SALAMI AU POIVRE, HOT CAPOCOLLO, CAPOCOLLO PIQUANT."

8-ounce packages of "BOAR'S HEAD BRAND ALL NATURAL SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER."

Catch weight packages of "DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION, BABY GENOA PEPPER SALAME, MADE WITH 100% PORK COATED WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PORK FAT."

20-ounce variety packages of "DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PEPPERED GENOA, MILANO SALAME."

21-ounce variety packages of "DANIELE GOURMET ITALIAN DELI SELECTION, SWEET SOPRESSATA SALAMI, PEPPERED GENOA SALAMI, HOT SOPRESSATA SALAMI, MILANO SALAMI, SALAMI SOPRESSATA DOUX, SALAMI GENOA POIVRÉ, SALAMI SOPRESSATA PIQUANT, SALAMI MILANO."

7-ounce packages of "DANIELE SALAME BITES PEPPER SALAME."

14-ounce packages of "DANIELE GOURMET ITALIAN DELI SELECTION ASSORTMENT DE FINES CHARCUTERIE ITALIENNE, SWEET SOPRESSATA SALAMI, MILANO SALAMI, SALAMI SOPRESSATA DOUX, SALAMI MILANO."

Catch weight packages of "DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER."

32-ounce variety packages of "DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PEPPERED GENOA, MILANO SALAME."

Each package bears a label with establishment number "EST. 9992" or "EST. 54" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were distributed to retail establishments nationwide, as well as internationally.

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