It’s not just diarrhea-causing parasites in shredded lettuce that you might have to be worried about. An ongoing outbreak of Salmonella linked to eggs is sickening people across the country. Federal health officials are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis that has infected at least dozens of people in 17 states. Some of the cases have been linked to shell egg products produced by Midwest Poultry Services, which have since been recalled. Yet there may be more possible culprits and more cases left to be identified. “Additional investigation is ongoing to determine if there are other sources of illness,” the Food and Drug Administration stated in its latest update, published July 24th. Egg trouble According to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 98 people in 17 states have been infected with the same outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis. Twenty-six people have been hospitalized so far, though no deaths have been reported. As is often true with foodborne outbreaks, the actual number of cases is higher, since many people recover without seeing a doctor or getting testing for Salmonella. Though Salmonella is rarely life-threatening, it can cause miserable bouts of diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps that typically last between four and seven days. Children under five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to severe illness.