The Chattanooga Health Department confirmed Friday that two cases of salmonella poisoning in Hamilton County can be linked to an outbreak that occurred across the country.
The Health Department could not give specifics on the cases, only that the two cases happened sometime between October and December, 2008. The Health Department did confirm that no new cases from this outbreak had been reported in Hamilton County in the last two weeks.
The Health Department reported that in Hamilton County there were 39 cases of salmonella poisoning in 2006, 56 cases in 2007, and 36 in 2008. A representative from the Health Department, Jennifer Yim, said that most of these cases are sporadic and not linked to bigger outbreaks. She said, "I don't have a percentage, but maybe once or twice a year we have a case that is linked to a bigger outbreak. That really varies."
Ms. Yim said it usually takes several weeks after an initial report of a salmonella case to learn if it is linked to an outbreak because the testing is done at a federal level.
According to the Health Department representative right now the source of the current outbreak is unknown which means there is potential for someone else to get salmonella poisoning. However, Ms. Yim said it was promising and that the Health Department was "not worried" since it has been over two weeks since a case has been reported in Hamilton County.
Salmonella poisoning usually lasts 4-7 days. Severe infection, which would require a hospital stay, happens in fewer than 10% of those who get salmonella poisoning. Very few cases are fatal.