Five Dead in Peanut Butter Outbreak

January 14, 2009

According to the Associated Press, the death toll among victims of the national Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has risen to five – two each in Minnesota and Virginia, and one in Idaho.

The five people whose deaths may be due to their having becoming infected with Salmonella Typhimurium after eating contaminated peanut butter include:

• A man over the age of 65 from eastern Idaho
  
• Two adults in Virginia (no other details released)
  
• A Minnesota man in his 70s
  
• A Minnesota woman in her 70s
  

As of January 12th, CDC was reporting 410 confirmed cases of salmonellosis due to the outbreak strain in 43 states, and 3 deaths. According to Marler Blog, the total number of victims has now surpassed 425.

Anyone who followed the progress of last summer's Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in Canada can be excused for experiencing a feeling of déjà vu. The contaminated peanut butter was served to people in nursing homes and long term care facilities – a group of individuals with weakened immune systems. This population is highly susceptible to suffering severe dehydration as a result of gastroenteritis.

Tragically, we can expect the death rate from this Salmonella outbreak to be higher than is usually the case for Salmonella.