Nancy McCleary of the Fayetteville Observer reports that more than 1,000 people may have eaten at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux since May 1, the beginning date of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 51 people, health authorities said Friday.

“We are still tracking the numbers,” said Buck Wilson, director of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health.

As of Friday, 51 people who ate at the hotel since May 1 – its banquet facilities, the Cafe Bordeaux and the All American Sports Bar and Grill – had reported symptoms of salmonellosis, a form of food poisoning, health officials said.

Five people have been hospitalized, officials said.

“Because this facility is along a major interstate, we are broadening our notification to try to reach anyone who may be affected by the outbreak,” said State Health Director Laura Gerald.

Local and state health investigators have not determined the source of the salmonella bacteria, Wilson said.

“It requires an extensive investigation,” he said. “It’s possible that you never narrow it down to a specific source.”

The contaminant could have been spread through food or a cross-contamination of foods and glassware, Wilson said.