3 Floridians among those ill after eating raw oysters amid national salmonella outbreak

Salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters

Three Floridians reported falling ill from salmonella in a national outbreak that includes 64 total cases across 22 states. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports

TAMPA, Fla. - Three Floridians reported falling ill from salmonella in a national outbreak that includes 64 total cases across 22 states. People are reporting eating raw oysters, according to the CDC. 

Both the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said officials are now working to determine if a common source of oysters can be identified. However, no recalls have been issued. 

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Salmonella bacteria is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, and contaminated food is the source of most of these illnesses, according to the CDC. 

By the numbers:

No deaths have been reported, but roughly a third of the total cases had to be hospitalized. 

Symptoms usually start anywhere from six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria in contaminated food, according to the CDC. They can include fever, vomiting and stomach cramps. 

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"What makes salmonella unique is, sometimes the fevers can get pretty high, and the diarrhea can sometimes be bloody," AdventHealth North Pinellas Emergency Room Director Dr. Jose Barquin Jr. told FOX 13. 

CDC officials believe the number of total cases in this outbreak may actually be much higher than what’s already been reported, because many people will recover at home and are not tested.

Why you should care:

Local emergency room doctors said salmonella can lead to dehydration, which is typically what puts people in the hospital. They’re also asking people who think they might have salmonella not to treat it with medicine themselves.  

"Usually, antibiotics for mild infection for symptoms that are just your run-of-the-mill diarrhea and abdominal cramps, antibiotics are not indicated. We reserve antibiotics for those folks that are high risk and those folks that are hospitalized," Barquin said. "What you don't want to do, is take that leftover bottle of antibiotics that you had sitting around for a while and hope that that works, because that can actually make it much worse."

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Those most at risk for severe illness related to salmonella tend to be young children, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. 

In some cases, salmonella can be deadly and can lead to sepsis. But most healthy people will recover without treatment after four to seven days.

What they're saying:

The CDC points out that raw oysters can be contaminated with germs at any time of the year, so they’re encouraging people to cook them to reduce the risk of food poisoning.