The Cascade City-County Health Department in Great Falls has now had 11 confirmed cases of salmonella, nine of which were within the Great Falls Public Schools.
Samples of the salmonella strain have been sent to the state lab for testing, and so far three cases have been linked to the same strain as the cases in other states.
Abigail Hill, the Health Officer for CCHD, explained, “When we started this investigation, we were aware of a multi-state outbreak, which meant that there were cases that had the same salmonella strain across the country, and at this point, that's been linked to 12 different states. We were awaiting results to see if our cases were also a part of that outbreak. We have confirmed and this week we found out that the three original cases that we sent to the state lab for testing did match the same strain."
CCHD has been working closely with the school district to remove all fresh produce from the schools until further notice.
Hill noted, “Produce is often one of the sources of salmonella and some of the signs and information that we had from the state CDC, FDA was kind of pointing to somewhere in that produce realm”.
Food samples including cucumbers, apples, shredded lettuce, and strawberries were taken from Sacajawea, Valley View, Meadowlark, and Lincoln elementary schools. Once those samples are tested, the CCHD will work with the state to develop next steps and figure out when it will be safe to reintroduce produce back into the schools. Results from the state lab are expected back in the next week.
The CCHD is still urging those who are experiencing symptoms of salmonella to see a healthcare provider.
Hill says, “If you have severe signs of dehydration, you're vomiting so much that you can't keep any liquids down, these would, at any time of year and under any circumstances, be great ideas to go and see a medical provider. At this point, providers are aware and on the lookout for some of those signs and symptoms, and so they will possibly be testing for salmonella”.
Click here to visit the CCHD website.
(NOVEMBER 13, 2024) The Cascade City-County Health Department (CCHD) in Great Falls is continuing to investigate confirmed salmonella cases in Cascade County, the majority of which are within the Great Falls Public School (GFPS) system.
The CCHD said that as of Wednesday, there are now 10 confirmed cases; nine of those confirmed cases came from within four GFPS elementary schools. Three additional test results are pending, one of which is associated with another secondary school.
The CCHD expects results of test samples to be available on Friday from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services. Those results would determine whether the Great Falls cases are linked to the multistate outbreak, but will not confirm a specific food source.
At this point there is no confirmed source of the outbreak.
In the meantime, the GFPS is ensuring all food safety measures are being followed, including washing hands often to avoid more cases.
On Wednesday afternon, in response to the outbreak, GFPS announced: "While we are still waiting for results to identify the source of the salmonella contamination, out of an abundance of caution, GFPS will temporarily remove fresh fruits and vegetables. Dried and canned fruits will replace fresh options in all schools. In the past, outbreaks in other locations have been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables."
“What we’re learning is how hard and how difficult that is to track because we're not seeing any patterns in it. It’s not necessarily one grade level, not necessarily one classroom, but kind of a smattering across multiple ones, across multiple schools, but not even within family groups either. It's becoming very difficult to put our finger on what is the cause of this illness,” said Heather Hoyer, superintendent of GFPS.
The school district is working closely with the CCHD to identify students or staff with any related symptoms to quickly confirm it is salmonella, and help stop the spread.
“We have a good working relationship with the City-County Health Department. They have been over and we've had conversations, we've looked at things, and we are supporting them in any way we can to try to help figure out the cause,” said Jackie Mainwaring, director of GFPS Student Achievement.
The CCHD Environmental Heath Division manager, Rhonda Knudsen, said, “I did not identify anything of concern right now. They seem to be doing what they are supposed to be doing, following their procedures that they need to be following, and, you know, they are consistent with our rules for food safety.”
The CCHD recommends everyone washes hands often, avoid preparing and serving food while sick, and monitor symptoms regularly.
What is Salmonella? From the federal Centers for Disease Control website:
- Salmonella are bacteria (germs) that can make people sick
- People can get infected with Salmonella after swallowing the bacteria.
- CDC estimates Salmonella cause about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year.
- Contaminated food is the source for most of these illnesses.
Salmonella is typically spread by consuming contaminated food; it may be contracted from infected people that are handling or contact food, or from animals.
Symptoms of Salmonella usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection and usually last 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days. Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Symptoms include:
• Watery diarrhea that might have blood or mucus
• Stomach cramps that can be severe
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Signs of dehydration (reduced urination, dry mouth and throat, dizziness when standing up)
Check with a medical provider if you are experiencing severe symptoms:
• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
• Bloody stools
• Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as making very little urine, dry mouth and throat, and/or dizziness when standing up
