A total of 41 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney have been reported from 20 states. Three new cases have been reported from three states since the last update: New York (1), North Carolina (1) and Virginia (1).
Among persons for whom information is available, illness onset dates range from June 14, 2012, to September 21, 2012. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year to 79 years, with a median age of 6 years. Sixty-three percent of ill persons are children under the age of 10 years. Sixty percent of ill persons are male. Among 36 persons with available information, 10 (28%) patients reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses that occurred after October 5, 2012, might not be reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. The numbers of new cases have declined substantially since the peak in August, but illnesses are still being reported among people who ate the recalled brands of peanut butter after the recall. Many of these products have a long shelf-life. If consumers are unaware that they have recalled products in their home and continue to consume them, the outbreak could continue at a low level for several months.
Investigation Update
Testing conducted by the New Jersey Department of Health, Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, and Washington State Department of Agriculture laboratories isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney from opened jars of Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Peanut Butter collected from case-patients’ homes.
