Local Patients
May Be Linked To Salmonella Outbreak
By MANDY SHEETS

SEBRING — Since ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled certain jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter Wednesday, more than 20 patients have visited Florida Hospital with gastrointestinal illness.

Three of those cases have direct links to the questionable peanut butter, said Cathy Albritton, director of marketing and public relations for Florida Hospital.

Blood and stool samples were collected from the patients. It will take at least 72 hours for the results, which could show whether the patients have salmonella.

Kay Mollenkopf, public information officer for Highlands County Health Department, said no cases of salmonella have been confirmed in the county.

Highlands Regional Medical Center hasn’t had any patients presenting with gastrointestinal illness.

Officials suspect more people experienced symptoms before the recall was announced and did not seek medical attention.

Linda Blackwell spent about 48 hours last week “sick as a dog,” and it wasn’t until she found out about the peanut butter recall that she
understood why.

“I heard about the recall and found out I had the winning product code,” Blackwell said.

Blackwell eats peanut butter and crackers nightly, but she hasn’t had an appetite for it lately.

“I’ve had food poisoning before, so I knew it had to be something I ate,” Blackwell said. “But I’ve never had peanut butter make me sick like that.”

Nearly 300 people in 39 states have fallen ill since August, and federal health investigators said they strongly suspect Peter Pan peanut butter and certain batches of Wal-Mart’s Great Value house brand – both manufactured by ConAgra Foods Inc.

Shoppers across the country were warned to throw out jars with a product code on the lid beginning with “2111,” which denotes the plant where it was made. Lids of the peanut butter can be returned to the company for a full refund at: ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103.
Many stores that sold the peanut butter, including Wal-Mart, also are offering refunds.

Salmonella infection is known each year to sicken about 40,000 people in the United States, according to the CDC. Salmonellosis, as the infection is known, kills about 600 people annually.

Symptoms can include diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting.

CDC officials believe the salmonella outbreak to be the nation’s first stemming from peanut butter. The most cases were reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri. As of Friday, one case of salmonella has been reported in Florida, in Alachua County, Mollenkopf said.

About 20 percent of all the ill were hospitalized, and there were no deaths. About 85 percent of the infected people said they ate peanut butter, CDC officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.