By investigating what was eaten by those who got sick compared with what was eaten by those who did not, the CDC discovered that the most likely cause of this illness is Banquet brand pot pies made by ConAgra Foods. More specifically, consumers should be careful not to eat Banquet pot pies or pot pies made by ConAgra Foods that "have a printed code beginning in ‘5009’ and ending in ‘P9’ or ‘Est 1059.’" Even if the pot pie does not have the Banquet brand, but is one of the store brands made by ConAgra, such as Great Value brand sold at Wal-Mart or Kirkwood sold at Aldi, the printed code will still end in ‘P9’ or ‘Est 1059.’ The CDC is advising consumers to check packages before purchasing. They also recommend that, "If you have any of these products at home, the safest thing to do is to discard them."

Being infected with Salmonella can feel like what people often refer to as a nasty flu. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, as well as chills, headache, nausea and vomiting. These show up 12-72 hours after being infected. The illness lasts 4-7 days. As with other illnesses, infants, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy, may be more severely affected. In this outbreak, persons who became ill ranged in age from less than 1 to 87 years of age.

Salmonella, if left untreated, can often be overcome by a person’s natural immune system. It can also become severe, causing hospitalization (as in 30 of the recent cases) or even death. Salmonella can be diagnosed, though, and treated with antibiotics.

Further Reading

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