No, really – keep reading. 

According to the Illinois Department of Health, the outbreak of Salmonella sicknesses in Illinois linked to Subway restaurants is spreading. To date, there are 68 confirmed cases, of which 24 had been hospitalized. People with the illness reported eating at Subway locations in central Illinois 24 counties.

According to the CDC, for every one person who is a stool-culture confirmed positive victim of salmonella in the United States, there a multiple of 38.5 who are also sick, but remain uncounted. (See, AC Voetsch, “FoodNet estimate of the burden of illness caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in the United States,”Clinical Infectious Diseases 2004;38 (Suppl 3):S127-34). This means that in this Subway Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak of 68 (this number is bound to rise), we are missing 2,550 people so far.

A few critical questions to ask Subway:

1.  Didn’t you just have a Shigella outbreak?

2.  Given that this Salmonella outbreak is in 24 counties, and you recalled various vegetables (lettuce), will you also name your suppliers and tell us if you had any requirement for product testing?

3.  Will you commit to paying for the medical expenses and lost wages of your sickened customers?