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At least 64 people across nearly two dozen states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
As of Wednesday, Dec. 24, no deaths had been reported in connection to the outbreak, but at least 20 people were hospitalized, the CDC said in a press release one day earlier. No recall has been announced tied to the illnesses.
It's not clear how many potentially contaminated oysters were sold, and officials said a common source of the oysters had not been identified by the CDC and Food and Drug Administration, which is also investigating.
"People in this outbreak are being hospitalized at a higher rate than expected when compared to other Salmonella outbreaks linked to oysters," the CDC wrote in its release. "State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the different foods they ate in the week before they got sick."
Of the 27 people interviewed, 74% of them reported eating raw oysters.
Salmonella outbreak across 22 states
As of Tuesday, Dec. 23, the salmonella outbreak linked to oysters had sickened dozens in the following states:
* Arizona
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Georgia
* Florida
* Illinois
* Kentucky
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Missouri
* New Jersey
* New York
* North Carolina
* Pennsylvania
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Virginia
What is salmonella?
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and fatal infections in children, the elderly and other people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
Most people infected with salmonella start developing symptoms 12 to 72 hours after eating a contaminated product. Diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps are the main symptoms.
Most people recover without treatment, but in rare circumstances the infection can require hospitalization, according to the CDC. Pregnant women are also at higher risk of developing an infection from it and should seek medical attention if symptoms arise.
Consumers who the affected oysters and have symptoms should contact their health care provider, the CDC said, and those with questions about cases in a particular state should contact that state's health department.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealu