17 salmonella cases confirmed in Illinois

CHICAGO, June 7 (UPI) -- Seventeen cases of a rare strain of salmonella have been confirmed in Illinois following the discovery of five more infected individuals, officials say.

Illinois Department of Public Health official Melaney Arnold said while previous incidents involving the Salmonella Saintpaul strain were linked to raw tomatoes, it remains unclear what may have caused the growing outbreak, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

"We are still continuing to collect food histories to identify a common link," Arnold said.

In addition to the 17 confirmed cases in Illinois, at least another 73 other cases involving the rare strain have been found in 10 other states.

A public health spokeswoman said while Illinois has had a significant portion of the confirmed cases, New Mexico and Texas contained the bulk of the reported infections.

A food safety advocate told the Tribune people should pay closer attention to their food until a cause can be determined and to seek medical attention if feeling ill.