Salmonella Outbreak Hits Chester Co. Hospitals, Care Facilities

WEST CHESTER, PA — Several cases of salmonella poisoning have hit Chester County hospitals and long-term care facilities, the health department confirmed.

Several of the cases were reported around Thanksgiving weekend at Chester County Hospital.

The state Department of Health said that there have been a total of 31 laboratory-confirmed illnesses of salmonella at four separate healthcare facilities in southeastern Pennsylvania. Officials declined to confirm whether all of these facilities are located in Chester County, or whether other counties have also seen cases.

Reports that these cases were sourced from local fast food establishments are unfounded, Chester County officials said.

No deaths have occurred, though several victims have been hospitalized.

The Chester County Health Department, along with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, is "actively investigating" the local outbreak.

Thus far, officials are warning that the contamination might stem from Tailor Cut Produce, based in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Businesses have been warned not to distribute pre-cut fruit products, including grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew, from that company due to the salmonella risk.

An outbreak that was also traced to pre-cut melons hit the state back in April. It involved a different company, however: Caito Foods LLC, based in Indianapolis.

According to the CDC, symptoms of a salmonella infection include:

• Diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. The infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
• Children younger than 5 years, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.