Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's investigating the possibility that the consumption of raw oysters may have infected 64 people across 22 states with salmonella.
As of Tuesday, the CDC said 20 of those who reported salmonella infections were hospitalized with onset dates from late June to late November. No reported fatalities occurred.
"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC stated.
The highest number of reported sick included 10 in Pennsylvania and 7 in New York with 6 in each New Jersey and Virginia.
Public health officials gathered demographic and exposure data from patients, including foods eaten in the week before illness.
