Be careful what you eat!

Four people in Clark County became ill as part of an outbreak of typhoid fever, likely from eating contaminated food, the Southern Nevada Health District said today. The district said the four local cases of salmonella typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever, are part of a two-state outbreak believed to be a result of consuming a frozen fruit product called mamey fruit pulp. All four patients in Clark County were under the age of 30 and have recovered, the district said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are working with local authorities to investigate the outbreak, which has also sickened five people in California, the district said. Mamey fruit pulp, also known as zapote or sapote, comes from a tropical fruit grown in Central and South American countries and is often used in shakes and smoothies. It is especially popular in Hispanic communities. The heath district and the CDC are recommending that people do not eat or drink food items that contain the frozen Goya brand of mamey fruit pulp, which has been voluntarily recalled. The heath district investigates more than 100 cases of salmonella each year, but these are the first typhoid fever cases in the area in more than a year. Typhoid fever is a serious bacterial infection that can last three or four weeks, officials said. While there are about 400 cases in the U.S. annually, 70 percent of them are acquired while traveling outside the country, the health district said. Symptoms include a sustained fever as high as 104 degrees, stomach pains, a headache, anorexia, a slow heart rate, malaise, constipation or diarrhea and coughing. The infection can be treated with antibiotics. People who believe they might be ill after consuming frozen mamey fruit pulp should consult their heath care providers, the district said.

RSOE EDIS - Epidemic Hazard in USA on 13.08.2010. EDIS CODE: EH-20100813-27394-USA