>> A NATIONAL HEALTH ALERT TONIGHT ABOUT FLOUR THE CDC NOW SAYS IT MAY BE LINKED TO A SALMONELLA OUTBREAK IN AT LEAST 11 STATES. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IS DR ALISTAIR MARTIN, AN EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. >> THE C-D-C HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY SPECIFIC BRANDS OF FLOUR SO FOR NOW, HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE URGING PEOPLE NOT TO EAT OR PLAY WITH ANY UNCOOKED DOUGH OR BATTER. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE RISK? I WOULD IMAGINE ONCE IT IS COOKED, THAT IT IS FINE? >> LET’S PUT THINGS INTO CONTEXT. WHILE THIS IS THE FIRST REPORTED OUTBREAK IN 2023, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE SCALE. WE ARE TRACKING ABOUT A DOZEN ILLNESSES ACROSS 11 STATES. NO DEATHS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO CASES IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS AS OF NOW. IT SEEMS LIKE THE TIMING FROM THIS HAS RANGED BETWEEN DECEMBER TO MID FEBRUARY. FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN MADE ILL BY THIS PROBABLY CONSUMED FLOUR AT SOME POINT IN THAT WINDOW. THE FACTS ARE THIS. MOST PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS. IF YOU ARE USING FLOUR, RONDO, — MAKE SURE YOU ARE WASHING YOUR HANDS DON’T EAT THE EXTRA COOKIE BATTER ON THE SPOON AND IF YOUR KIDS ARE PLAYING WITH PLATO, MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T HAVE UNCOOKED DOUGH IN IT. MAKE SURE THE KIDS ARE SAFE. BUT IN GENERAL, THE RISK IS LOW. >> AS YOU KNOW, SALMONELLA IS A BACTERIA. ARE INFECTIONS GENERALLY EASY TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT? WOULD WE EVEN KNOW IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN IMPACTED? >> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. THE BIG THING FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH OUT FOR OUR DIARRHEA FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS. FEVER. THINGS TAKE IT OUT OF THE CATEGORY OF A NORMAL BUG THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ONCE A YEAR. THIS IS A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS AND YOU SHOULD GET CHECKED OUT AT A DOCTOR’S OFFICE. THINGS TO LOOK FOR, FEVER, BUDDY DIARRHEA AND A CONTINUATION OF THAT FOR MULTIPLE DAYS. THE TREATMENT IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. WE TRY TO REPLACE FLUIDS. WE GIVE THEM ANTIDIARRHEA MEDICATION. THEN IN VERY SEVERE CASES, WE GIVE ANTIBIOTICS. BUT THAT’S PRETTY RARE.
CDC investigating salmonella outbreak linked to flour
Updated: 8:19 PM EDT Mar 31, 2023
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a salmonella outbreak that has been linked to flour, and it’s urging people not to eat or play with uncooked dough or batter.A dozen illnesses — including three hospitalizations — have been reported in connection with the outbreak, spanning 11 states. However, the CDC says that the scale of the outbreak is probably much larger than the number of reported cases suggests.The agency has not identified specific brands of flour involved in the outbreak.Most of the patients whom the CDC has interviewed said they had eaten raw dough or batter in the week before falling ill, the timing of which spanned from December to mid-February. Flour was the only common ingredient in the raw dough or batter that was eaten.Most flour is raw and hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, according to the CDC. Salmonella bacteria dies when it is cooked or baked, but people can get sick when eating or tasting foods that include raw flour. Raw dough used for crafts and play clay also poses a risk.To stay safe, the CDC recommends following recipe or package instructions to fully cook cookies, cakes and other foods made with raw flour and using warm water and soap to wash hands, utensils, countertops and anything else that comes into contact with raw four. People should also use heat-treated flour for homemade playdough.Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that can start within hours or days of consuming the bacteria. Most people will recover with treatment but should seek immediate attention from a health care provider if they have severe symptoms, symptoms that don’t improve after a few days or signs of dehydration.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a salmonella outbreak that has been linked to flour, and it’s urging people not to eat or play with uncooked dough or batter.
A dozen illnesses — including three hospitalizations — have been reported in connection with the outbreak, spanning 11 states. However, the CDC says that the scale of the outbreak is probably much larger than the number of reported cases suggests.
The agency has not identified specific brands of flour involved in the outbreak.
Most of the patients whom the CDC has interviewed said they had eaten raw dough or batter in the week before falling ill, the timing of which spanned from December to mid-February. Flour was the only common ingredient in the raw dough or batter that was eaten.
Most flour is raw and hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, according to the CDC. Salmonella bacteria dies when it is cooked or baked, but people can get sick when eating or tasting foods that include raw flour. Raw dough used for crafts and play clay also poses a risk.
To stay safe, the CDC recommends following recipe or package instructions to fully cook cookies, cakes and other foods made with raw flour and using warm water and soap to wash hands, utensils, countertops and anything else that comes into contact with raw four. People should also use heat-treated flour for homemade playdough.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that can start within hours or days of consuming the bacteria. Most people will recover with treatment but should seek immediate attention from a health care provider if they have severe symptoms, symptoms that don’t improve after a few days or signs of dehydration.
