A Salmonella outbreak at a senior citizens’ home in a German town has been linked to two deaths. At least 23 people have been confirmed with salmonellosis in the outbreak.
Since June 26, two nurses and 21 residents of the Alten-und Pflegeheim Karlslust facility in Storkow have fallen ill. Salmonella Panama was detected in eight of the patients. Storkow is a town in Oder-Spree district, in Brandenburg.
Seven people were hospitalized but four of them have since been discharged. Two people, who had existing underlying medical conditions, have died.
The public health department of Oder-Spree ordered isolation and additional disinfection measures to stop the spread of infection. Food in common areas has been temporarily stopped and residents must take it to their rooms.
The agency said laboratory tests to detect salmonellosis will be intensified to provide a faster result. It is being helped by the Veterinary and Food Surveillance Office to identify the source of infection. Cooking foods to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F kills the bacteria.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection usually appear 12 to 72 hours after exposure and last from four to seven days. Healthy adults often recover easily, but high risk groups including young children and people older than 65, frequently develop serious infections that can lead to lasting complications and death.
In a separate warning on Salmonella, authorities reported a different serotype of the pathogen has been found in eggs from Poland. Salmonella Enteritidis was detected in a product sample tested by sanitary authorities.
‘Jaja z chowu klatkowego kl. Wag. M’ with expiration dates of July 23-24 and a code stamped on the eggs, 3PL26111314, are affected.
The implicated eggs were produced at Gospodarstwo Rolne and packed at the Fermy Drobiu Niewczas plant.
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