< Back to front page Text size – +

Salmonella has stricken nearly 50 in Mass.

E-mail|Link|Comments (9) Posted by Gideon Gil February 9, 2009 04:10 PM

By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff

State public health authorities said today that 48 Massachusetts residents have been stricken with the same strain of salmonella that has sickened almost 600 people nationwide. The germ implicated in those illnesses has been traced to tainted peanuts from a Georgia factory.

Patients in Massachusetts have been as young as 1 and as old as 91; all have survived their illnesses. The patient with the most-recent bout of salmonella-related symptoms fell ill Jan. 25, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Health said.

The greatest number of cases has been reported in Middlesex County, with 13. Elsewhere in the state, Barnstable County reported three cases; Bristol, four; Essex, six; Hampden, nine; Norfolk, four; Plymouth, four; Suffolk, one; and Worcester, four.

« Back to front page

9 comments so far...

I think it may be 51...had same symptoms yesterday after dinner out on Saturday night.

Posted by Timmy O'Brien February 9, 09 05:01 PM

It crossed my mind that the repeated bouts of "stomach bug" that have been cycling through the schools in the last couple of months might be this instead.

Posted by Medford Mickey February 9, 09 08:01 PM

What's worse....

Sickening thousands of people with your tainted food like Kellogg's did

Taking a bong hit at a party like Michael Phelps did?

Posted by Jim Norquits February 9, 09 08:38 PM

Good point, Jim!

Posted by Sasha February 9, 09 09:07 PM

Trying to somehow equate the two?

Posted by Greg February 9, 09 09:20 PM

Jim- Loose stool and abdominal cramping are more consistent with Kellogg's image than recreational marijuana use. Just do a Google search on John Harvey Kellogg and some of his "medical treatments," or rent The Road To Wellville.:)

Posted by Alex Georges February 9, 09 10:36 PM

Are you one of the four? I wonder if your salmonella came from this peanut factory?

Posted by Mike February 9, 09 11:52 PM

There's a connection between the Georgia Peanut Plant and Kellogg's?

Am I missing something?

Posted by John 'bluntz' Hancock February 10, 09 12:30 AM

I bet there are close to 1000 cases. The symptoms are flu like, and many school kids probably just think they have the flu. Check the absence rates for schools and clusters.

Posted by Fanning February 10, 09 01:42 AM

You must be logged in to submit a comment.

This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.

about white coat notes We post updates every weekday about the region's hospitals, labs and medical schools – covering everything from the latest research findings to what's on the minds of the innovative doctors, nurses and scientists who work here. Send news items and tips to whitecoat@globe.com

see all globe blogs

Contributors

blogger

Elizabeth Cooney is a former health reporter for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, where she also was a business reporter and an editor. Earlier in her career, she edited medical books and journals at Little, Brown, and worked for Boston magazine.