Roanoke News WSLS is reporting
Three deaths associated with a national salmonella outbreak occurred in Virginia and Minnesota, health officials confirmed Tuesday.
Two adults in Virginia had salmonella when they died, though it’s not clear that the illness is what killed them, said Michelle Peregoy, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Health. She did not release details about the two people.
Earlier, Minnesota health officials said an elderly woman in that state had the illness at the time of her death.
Health officials are urging nursing homes, hospitals, schools, universities and restaurants to toss out specific containers of peanut butter linked to a salmonella outbreak in 43 states and possibly to the deaths of three people.
The recalled peanut butter – distributed by King Nut Companies of Solon, Ohio – was supplied only through food service providers and was not sold directly to consumers. King Nut challenged the finding, saying it could not be the source of the nationwide outbreak since it distributes to only seven states.
The outbreak has sickened more than 400 people and Minnesota health officials announced Monday they had found a match between samples from a King Nut container and the strains of salmonella bacteria making people sick across the country.
The peanut butter King Nut distributed was manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America of Lynchburg, Va. In an e-mail earlier Monday, President Stewart Parnell said the company was working with federal authorities.
Nationally, 425 salmonella cases confirmed as of Tuesday, according to the CDC.
All the illnesses began between Sept. 3 and Jan. 6, but most of the people became sick after Oct. 1.
SO VIRGINIANS – LISTEN UP. It was made in Lynchburg, and distributed to at least two companies across the US. And the folks eating this peanutbutter, are those at higher risk – kids and nursing home residents.
Please be proactive, call your local nursing home and or school and tell them NOT TO SERVE any peanutbutter right now.