Number of salmonella cases increases to 25

The number of salmonella cases linked to an outbreak from Acapulco Restaurant in Newton continues to rise.

Twenty-five cases have been reported in the area, all linked to the restaurant.

Fourteen of those cases are in Harvey County, said Terry Boulard, Harvey County Health Department official.

The rest of the cases were reported in Sedgwick, Marion, and McPherson counties, Boulard said.

All the cases were reported to have occurred in early to mid June. No new outbreaks have been reported.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is concluding its investigation and interviews in the case but has yet to determine a cause of the outbreak.

A food service inspection was performed at the restaurant on June 17 in response to the outbreak.

The establishment was cited with four critical violations, including improper cold holding of food, improper date marking of held food, improper hand washing and the use of improper containers for food storage.

All violations were corrected on site and do not require a follow up inspection, according to a KDHE news release.

Most persons infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized.

The elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak is not believed to be associated with the nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul, which has been linked nationally to raw tomatoes.