GREAT FALLS — The Cascade City-County Health Department (CCHD) in Great Falls is continuing to investigate confirmed salmonella cases in Cascade County, the majority of which are within the Great Falls Public School (GFPS) system.
The CCHD said that as of Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, there are now 10 confirmed cases; nine of those confirmed cases came from within four GFPS elementary schools. Three additional test results are pending, one of which is associated with another secondary school.
The CCHD expects the results of test samples to be available on Friday from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).
Those results would determine whether the Great Falls cases are linked to the multistate outbreak, but will not confirm a specific food source.
At this point, there is no confirmed source of the outbreak.
In the meantime, the GFPS is ensuring all food safety measures are being followed, including washing hands often to avoid more cases.
On Wednesday afternoon, in response to the outbreak, GFPS announced: "While we are still waiting for results to identify the source of the salmonella contamination, out of an abundance of caution, GFPS will temporarily remove fresh fruits and vegetables. Dried and canned fruits will replace fresh options in all schools. In the past, outbreaks in other locations have been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables."
“What we’re learning is how hard and how difficult that is to track because we're not seeing any patterns in it. It’s not necessarily one grade level, not necessarily one classroom, but kind of a smattering across multiple ones, across multiple schools, but not even within family groups either. It's becoming very difficult to put our finger on what is the cause of this illness,” said Heather Hoyer, superintendent of GFPS.
The school district is working closely with the CCHD to identify students or staff with any related symptoms to quickly confirm it is salmonella, and help stop the spread.
“We have a good working relationship with the City-County Health Department. They have been over and we've had conversations, we've looked at things, and we are supporting them in any way we can to try to help figure out the cause,” said Jackie Mainwaring, director of GFPS Student Achievement.
“I did not identify anything of concern right now. They seem to be doing what they are supposed to be doing, following their procedures that they need to be following, and, you know, they are consistent with our rules for food safety," CCHD Environmental Heath Division manager Rhonda Knudsen said.
The CCHD recommends everyone washes hands often, avoid preparing and serving food while sick, and monitor symptoms regularly.
What is Salmonella? From the federal Centers for Disease Control website:
- Salmonella are bacteria (germs) that can make people sick
- People can get infected with Salmonella after swallowing the bacteria.
- CDC estimates Salmonella cause about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year.
- Contaminated food is the source for most of these illnesses.
Salmonella is typically spread by consuming contaminated food; it may be contracted from infected people that are handling or contact food, or from animals.
Symptoms of salmonella usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection and usually last 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days. Some people — especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems — may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Symptoms include:
- Watery diarrhea that might have blood or mucus
- Stomach cramps that can be severe
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Signs of dehydration (reduced urination, dry mouth and throat, dizziness when standing up)
Please follow up with a medical provider if you are experiencing severe symptoms:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody stools
- Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as making very little urine, dry mouth and throat, and/or dizziness when standing up
