PORT TOWNSEND — An outbreak of salmonella poisoning that struck one Jefferson County resident and 14 others in the state since July has been linked to pepper on Daniele International, Inc. salami sold at major retailers.
Daniele, a Rhode Island-based company, announced a recall of its Pepper Coated Salame products on Jan. 23 amid an outbreak that has sickened at least 202 people in 42 states and the District of Columbia since July.
The Iowa Department of Public Health last week confirmed that a strain of salmonella, called montevideo, matching the outbreak strain was found in the remaining salami from a pack that one of those sickened had eaten.
Salmonellosis is a common bacterial infection that comes from more than 2,000 strains of salmonella, the Washington State Department of Health said. Most people recover from salmonellosis on their own, without treatment or medication.
The Jefferson County case involved a man in his 40s who was not hospitalized, but reported his illness in late July. Public health officials did not identify him.
Donn Moyer, state Department of Health spokesman, said the outbreak was unique in that a national study actually pinpointed the source of the salmonella montevideo contamination.
‘An outbreak’
“Often you don’t find the source,” he said. “In this case you’ve got a number of people exposed to the same source. That’s why this was an outbreak.”
Moyer said he did not know where the Jefferson County man bought the salami that made him ill.
“He probably ate some of this packaged salami,” Moyer said.
Testing at the state’s Public Health Laboratories helped point disease investigators to the source of the outbreak.
After a review of shopping receipts, health officials verified that 13 cases showed purchases of the same salami variety pack before getting sick.
Clark County reported three cases, King County had three, Snohomish County reported three, and Thurston, Pierce and Whatcom counties each reported one case.
Only one of the people sickened in Washington state was hospitalized.
All 15 in-state cases were reported sick between July and December 2009, and the people have since recovered.
Public health officials advise people not to eat the recalled products that were known to be sold at Costco Warehouse and Walmart, Moyer said.
A private Washington state lab tested a different salami product, also produced by Daniele, and found it contained another type of salmonella.
Additional testing
A bacterial culture from the private lab, but not the salami product, was provided to the Washington State Department of Health for additional testing.
Results from the state lab tests of that bacterial culture on Monday identified two types of the bacteria.
One type matched the findings of the private lab, and the other matched the outbreak strain of salmonella montevideo.
Symptoms of salmonella include severe stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and chills. The illness can last up to 48 hours.
Daniele said on its Web site, www.danielefoods.com, that it has changed its spice suppliers, its specifications for spices, and is now using only irradiated pepper.
This recall is being undertaken in cooperation with the U.S Department of Agriculture and local health departments. The company is working with distributors and retailers to remove the products on the list below from store shelves.
The recalled meats have a shelf life of up to one year and had EST. 54 or EST. 9992 stamped inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture seal.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.