In South Australia there has been a recent outbreak of salmonella linked to bean sprouts. 233 cases have been reported since the beginning of December, with 43 people requiring hospitalisation.
The outbreak has caused great concern as the outbreak is nearly ten times what would normally be encountered over the course of a year.
After substantial investigation by SA Health, and with the aid of food suppliers and local efforts, the culprit has been identified as raw bean sprouts. While this product is normally hailed as an excellent choice for healthy living, it’s strongly suggested for the time being that they should not be consumed in a raw state by consumers in the South Australian region.
A statement by SA Health Chief Public Health Officer has revealed that due to the amount of salmonella cases it would be wise to cook the bean for the time being to ensure that any contamination is properly neutralised. In addition to this statement applying to individual consumers local retailers and restaurants have been advised to not serve the bean raw.
Salmonella is a nasty form of bacteria that can cause several unpleasant effects such as; vomiting, nausea, cramping, fever, and other symptoms that can lead to potentially dangerous outcomes without appropriate medical attention.
Similar cases have occurred in the past with mysterious salmonella outbreaks dating back to 2005 and 2006. At this time bean sprouts were the core of the problem as well.