The Illinois Department of Public Health yesterday reported that 48 cases of Salmonella Hvittingfoss have been confirmed in an outbreak among Illinois Subway restaurant customers in Bureau, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Coles, Fulton, LaSalle, Macon, Marshall, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Sangamon, Schuyler, Shelby, Tazewell, Warren, and Will counties.
According to the Health Department, 17 Subway customers were hospitalized due to the severity of their Salmonella infections. Illnesses reportedly started between May 11 and May 25 and cases range in age from 3 to 88.
A specific food source has not been identified as the source of the Salmonella outbreak, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with Illinois state and local public health officials and Subway restaurants throughout the state to determine the source of contamination.
Salmonella Hvitingfoss is an uncommon serotype of Salmonella; typically only one to two cases of the serotype are reported in Illinois per year.
